Navid Maghami was selected as the Featured Artist of Summer 2024 by the jury of Artistam Magazine.

In this issue, which was dedicated to the art of photography, the esteemed artist Mr. Navid Maghami received the highest score from the editorial board for his submission of three outstanding works. As a result, he was recognized as the Featured Artist of the Summer 2024 edition of the international magazine Artistam.

Biography of Navid Maghami

Navid Maghami, born in 1969 in Neyshabur, is a talented Iranian photographer with an artistic background that spans over decades. He comes from a culturally rich family background. Since childhood, Navid has had a keen interest in various art forms, such as music, poetry, and photography. This early passions shaped his career pursuits. Navid’s love for photography began when his father bought his first camera; little did he know that his son would one day become one of the city’s most distinguished photographers. At the age of ten, Navid would capture everyday moments of his family and friends, thus demonstrating his innate talent. The Iran-Iraq War significantly impacted his youth. After graduating, he joined the war. But following his father’s passing, Navid dedicated himself to further pursuing photography as a tribute to his father. Throughout the years, he has captured a wide array of subjects, including people, landscapes, wildlife, religious ceremonies, and more. In 2011, he established his personal studio, named Derang. Maghami’s first solo exhibition was held in 2018, marking a significant milestone in his career. Photography became an integral part of his life, as he continued exploring and documenting various aspects of his world. His acclaimed collection, Dreaming of Paradise, which comprises twelve large scale photos, showcased his mastery of colors, lighting and natural elements to recreate dreamlike visual experiences from his childhood for viewers to appreciate. Mohammad Reza Chaiforoosh describes this collection as a pursuit of dreams in a world where people are preoccupied with survival:

“By using colors and lighting, Maghami creates a paradise that is, in fact, a reflection of his own spiritual journey. Maghami’s photographs, while rooted in reality, take a step into a world beyond it, blurring the boundary between dream and reality.”

In his Wildlife collection, Navid brought a message of renewed hope. By capturing images of flamingos, he inspired many nature lovers to strive harder to protect the environment, as commented on by art critic, Mr. Hojjat Hassan Nazer:

“For more than four decades, Maghami explored the small alleys of Neyshabur’s gardens voyaging to the realm of music, under the merry shade of the violin. Today, Navid shines at the pinnacle of artistic pursuit, where he composes poetry with his camera, creating photos that resonate with the selfless sincerity of the observers, inviting them to a world of dreamlike serenity. Navid is the guide for those who long to understand art and experience its beauty, through the undeniable magic of the camera, he offers a delightful feast for eager art-loving guests to share his understanding and appreciation of art.”

Selected Works by Navid Maghami in the Summer Issue of Artistam International Magazine

Photo Title: Yalda
Description: Yalda is the longest night of the year, celebrated in Iranian culture.
The long light set up process in the extreme chill of the night made it difficult for me to even press the shutter button
Soleimani villiage, Neyshabur.

Photo Title: Dream
Description: Preparing this set up took me two days. The apples were attached to the bottom of the pond using straws. On the first day, I cut my hand and was taken to the hospital. I had to use gloves to avoid water from entering my wound. The smoke and the lighting created a dreamlike atmosphere. Trees with conjoined roots demonstrate the letter V or the number seven in Farsi, which represents love, and so do the red apples.

Photo Title: Shelter
Description: The tree has found shelter under the watchful eye of the mountain.
Lighting was done using flash.