Hidden Beauty

This collection is portraits of rural women from different parts of Iran that I took during two years of traveling throughout my country. When I started selecting the photos, I realized despite being taken in different times and places, most of the women were in white scarves. Therefore, I decided to choose only the women with white scarves. Photos of women are typically in the form of young beauties, with mesmerizing make-ups and gestures. This collection also depicts portraits of beautiful women, but from another point of view containing my definition of beauty. The portraits in horizontal frames, are each a narrative of a life. My subjects are not young girls with fashionable paintings on their faces, but they are women with wrinkles, which reveal the footprints of time. Each line and crease on their appearance has stories. Tales of their pain, sufferings and sacrifices. My women portraits with their pretty smiles convey the passion and vitality of life. However, deep within they are full of anxiety, awaiting and concern for their children, spouse, family or... Behind these smiles and weary faces, hides ages of burden and experience yet kindness. Thousands of unspoken words Thousands of unheard pains The lines and wrinkles are the artwork of times on faces of these women that I have framed with my camera.