It all started when…
To be a part of a diaspora is to live with a wanting. To want in equal parts a place that was, a place that isn’t, and a place that could be.
Nation of Desire is a fine art photography project utilizing portraiture, still life and poetry to represent the Iranian diaspora community in the US and explore my place within it. The relationship between Iran and the United States has oscillated between fragilely collaborative to openly hostile. While many in the US are at least partially aware of this history, the Iranian community residing here have largely been relegated to obscurity for fear of facing ostracization and violence. As yet another violent revolution unfolds in Iran under a complete internet blackout, members of the diaspora must wait to see what emerges. Some hope for political autonomy to finally be an inalienable right for all Iranians, others pray that the US intervenes and instates the son of the last western backed ruler. This project is a love letter to the Iranians holding their breath, balancing their histories and identities while navigating America's dreams and realities.
-2026