“Accidental Traveller” Opening Reception

The ArtsCenter presents Sia Yazdanfar’s Accidental Traveller, June 1 – 25, 2022. “Boasting some of the most colorful landscape & locals I have ever encountered,
Hormozgan Province borders the gulf where it meets the Strait of Hormuz, the preeminent strategic chokepoint on Earth. I believe these voyages yielded some
of the most kaleidoscopic & engaging photos I have had the privilege to shoot, capturing some of the lesser known parts of the Middle East.” – Sia Yazdanfar

Artist Bio

I am a freelance photographer, born & raised in Iran, with extended time
throughout my formative years spent in Spain, Pakistan, & Nigeria. I have resided
in the United States for the majority of my adult life. A few years ago, in 2017, I
went back to my motherland to reconnect with my roots & explore the timeless
traditions & trades of different regions in the country. My series of exhibitions
upon my return stateside served as a visual tapestry of the millennia-old
architectural wonders of Iran.

In 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, I traveled once more to the Middle East. As
a contrast to the photographs of mosques, palaces, tombs & other historic sites in
my earlier exhibitions, this next wave of journeys focused on the people whose
daily lives were encompassed by those spaces. I captured images of the saffron
harvest in Seh Gonbad, traditional Caspian fishing methods in Siyahrud, & silk
fabric weaving in Kashan.

Through my photography, I seek to share with the viewer the many layers that
comprise this ancient civilization, where despite the influx of modernization,
certain ways of life continue as they have for centuries, if not longer. In my path
as a visual artist, I am attempting to inform my audience of a sense of place in
far-flung locales which they may otherwise not have the opportunity to
experience.

Sia Yazdanfar
+1 702 706 3845
contact@siayazdanfar.com
www.siayazdanfar.com