Hoda Afshar approaches photography through an activist lens, creating images – some documentary, some staged, some conceptual – that all insist on the humanity of her subjects. For her first solo exhibition in Australia, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney (2 September–21 January 2024), the Iranian-born, Melbourne-based artist is reflecting on her upbringing as a member of the first generation to be born following the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Highlights include intimate portraits of people from Afshar’s hometown from the ongoing series titled In the Exodus, I love you more (2014–ongoing), and works from the series Speak the wind (2015–22): vivid depictions of the landscapes, communities and rituals of the islands in the Strait of Hormuz, off the southern coast of Iran. Find out more on the AGNSW’s website.
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Untitled #2 from the series Speak the Wind (2015–22), Hoda Afshar. Courtesy the artist; © Hoda Afshar
Portrait #3 from the series In the exodus, I love you more (2014–ongoing), Hoda Afshar. Courtesy the artist; © Hoda Afshar
Grace from the series In the exodus, I love you more (2014–ongoing), Hoda Afshar. Courtesy the artist; © Hoda Afshar
Crease from the series In the exodus, I love you more (2014–ongoing), Hoda Afshar. Courtesy the artist; © Hoda Afshar