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Artist Experience I am a freelance photographer, born & raised in Iran, with extended <br />time throughout my formativ e years spent in Spain, Pakistan, & <br />Nigeria. I hav e resided in the United States for the majority of my <br />adult life. In 2017 I went back to my motherland to reconnect with my <br />roots & explore the timeless traditions & trades of different regions in <br />the country. My series of exhibitions upon my return stateside in <br />2019, titled Persia Sublime, serv ed as a v isual tapestry of the <br />millennia-old architectural wonders of Iran. <br />In 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, I trav elled yet again to the <br />Middle East. As a contrast to the photographs of mosques, palaces, <br />tombs & other historic sites in my earlier exhibitions, this wav e of <br />journeys focused on the people whose daily liv es are encompassed <br />by those spaces. W ith the world at a standstill, people were seldom <br />trav eling. I was fortunate to capture the only images of the saffron <br />harv est season in Seh Gonbad, going on to document traditional <br />Caspian fishing methods in Siyahrud, & silk fabric weav ing in <br />Kashan. These expeditions serv ed as the basis for Different <br />Heav ens, my showings last year. <br />My latest images and resulting exhibitions took form ov er the course <br />of explorations of v arious Persian Gulf islands & coasts, from August <br />through December of 2021. I had yet again returned to Iran during <br />this seemingly endless pandemic, intending on trekking <br />around the prov inces of East & W est Azerbaijan, in the northwest <br />reaches of the country. W hen trav el restrictions forced me to cancel, <br />fate & chance recommendations landed me in the opposite <br />directions, on the subtropical southern fringes of my motherland. <br />Boasting some of the most colorful landscape & locals I hav e ev er <br />encountered, Hormozgan Prov ince borders the gulf where it meets <br />the Strait of Hormuz, the preeminent strategic chokepoint on Earth. I <br />believ e these v oyages yielded some of the most kaleidoscopic & <br />engaging photos I hav e had the priv ilege to shoot, capturing some of <br />the lesser known parts of the Middle East. <br />Through my photography, I seek to share with the v iewer the many <br />layers that comprise this ancient civ ilization, where despite the influx <br />of modernization, certain ways of life continue as they hav e for <br />centuries, if not longer. In my path as a v isual artist, I am attempting <br />to inform my audience of a sense of place in far-flung locales which <br />they may otherwise not hav e the opportunity to experience. <br />How do you plan to <br />market your project? <br />I will build on my prev ious marketing methods which include reaching <br />out to local radio/TV/print media. For ev ery one of my prior <br />exhibitions I hav e secured on-air interv iews and write-ups, and intend <br />to continue with this grassroots promotional method. The ev ents will <br />be added to my website as well the sites of the HAC and OCAC, <br />online creativ e and art groups, and my social media. An email blast <br />will be sent to patrons, and promo flyers will be distributed at local <br />campuses and businesses. <br />PROJECT/PROGRAM <br />BUDGET <br />Please fill out the charts below with your project's expenses and <br />income. Use the "Explanation" box to offer details for each category. <br />NOTE: The Total Cash Expense must equal the Total Cash Income. <br />Budgeted Expense <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 56EA2246-15D8-494C-9A44-12571508888E