An Iranian Journey

Long-Term Projects, second prize stories

September 3, 2012

A mural depicting the Ayatollah Khomeini, the figurehead of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the country has followed a strictly conservative theocratic line. Western cultural influences have been severely restricted. An estimated 60 percent of Iran’s population is under 30 and have little knowledge of their country before the revolution, yet all the trappings of Western youth and modernity are now beamed into homes via the internet and (as yet still illegal) satellite television. Daily, millions of young people engage in activities that are officially illegal and can carry severe penalties. The Basij—a volunteer militia—polices public morals, on the lookout for such offences as women showing too much hair, or couples inappropriately holding hands.

The photographer was born and raised in Iran and has been photographing his country for 15 years. He aims to document parts of Iran’s complex society showing less-observed areas of daily life.  He also turned his focus on some Iranian immigrants in the US, to see how they had kept their language, culture and traditions alive.

Photo Credit: Hossein Fatemi

Hossein Fatemi began his journey as a photographer covering politics and social events in his home country of Iran at the age of 17.

Between 2006 and 2008, he turned his lens on the wars in both Georgia and Lebanon. In 2009, Hossein moved to Afghanistan and documented American ground operations and the lives of Afghans in the aftermath of war for over four years. Throughout subsequent trips back to his homeland of Iran, Hossein produced An Iranian Journey and Veiled Truths; two controversial and award winning projects focusing on youth and female identity.

Throughout the years, Hossein’s photography have been exhibited world-wide and brought him to work in place like Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, Russia, India, Somalia, Kenya, and Bangladesh. He’s won numerous awards including being nomination for the 2016 World Understanding Award for the Pictures of the Year. Today, Hossein Fatemi resides in Chicago, IL and focuses on documenting social, environmental, and political issues across the United States of America.