Solmaz Daryani is an Iranian documentary photographer loosely based between Iran and the UK. She is a grantee of the Magnum Foundation, National Geographic Society, and a member of Women Photograph and Diversify Photo.
Her work is mainly known for exploring the themes of climate change, and water crisis, focusing on humans and their relationships with the environment, communities, and cultures. Since the beginning of her career, she has created several journalistic works over extended periods to understand human behavior and ideas in their social, cultural, religious, and political context. The subjects she has worked on overlap with sociology, and human geography and are closely linked to the environment.
Her ongoing project, The Eyes of Earth, is the 2015 London Magnum Photos Grant recipient, 2020 The Alexandra Boulat scholarship, 2018 PhotogrVphy Grant, and 2021 FotoEvidence Book Award.
She graduated from Azad University with a degree in computer science in 2011. She continued her studies in the Danish journalism and media school (DMJX) in 2020. She started approaching photography as a self-taught photographer in 2012, after independent studies on cinematography.
Her work has been published by international magazines and newspapers such as National Geographic Magazine, Der Spiegel, Atlas Obscura, Foreign Policy Magazine, L'OBS Magazine, Le Monde, Polka Magazine, The American Scholar Magazine, Télérama Magazine, and other publications.
Awards:
2021 Winner: Royal Photography Society Science Photographer of the Year, United Kingdom
2020 Award of Excellence: College Photographer of the Year (CPOY), United States
2020 Recipient of The Alexandra Boulat scholarship from VII Academy to study at DMJX
2020 Runner-up for Marilyn Stafford Fotoreportage Grant, United Kingdom
2019 Finalist in The IWPA Award by the International Women Photographers Association, France
2018 Second Place, 2018 PhotogrVphy Grant in the category of Climate
2018 Shortlisted for IWPA Award, the International Women Photographers Association, France
2017 Recipient of Magnum Foundation “On Religion” collaborative photography Grant, NYC U.S
2016 Recipient of IdeasTap with Magnum Photos Grant, London, United Kingdom
2016 Shortlisted for D&AD Next Photographer Award, London, United Kingdom
2016 Shortlisted for PDN's 30 Photographers to Watch
2015 Shortlisted for Sheed Grant (Independent Award for Documentary Photography)
2013 Tirgan Contemporary Art Prize Award, Toronto, Canada
2013 Shortlisted for Borsa International Photography Festival, Borsa, Turkey
2022 When the well is dry - August 20-December 10, 2022, Vermont (U.S)
2022 Biennale of Female Photography - Edition II, Mantova (IT)
2020 After Us, The Flood in KUNST HAUS WIEN ecological museum, Wien (AUT)
2020 Brooklyn, NYC, Photoville’s Artists to Watch (US)
2020 PhEST International festival of photography and art, Monopoli (ITL)
2020 My Environment International Festival, Neue Schule für Fotografie, Berlin (DE)
2019 F2 Fotofestival on Water and justice, Dortmund (DE)
2019 Brooklyn, NYC, UNDP’s exhibition; Inequality and climate change at Photoville (US)
2019 Group show, IRAN, 1979-2019 MAUPETIT CÔTÉ Gallery, Marseille (FR)
2019 IWPA travelling exhibition, La Galerie, Dubai, Alliance Française
2018 Group show “REAL IRAN”, Gallery Mandarin, Paris (FR)
2017 “Iran Anne 38” Group show, Les Rencontres d’Arles Festival, Arles (FR)
2016 PondyPHOTO India International Art Festival (India)
2013 Bursa Photo Festival, Colors of life exhibition, Bursa (TU)
2013 Tirgan Iranian/Canadian art and culture Festival and Visual art exhibition (CA)
2013 HIPA Photo Contest annual Book exhibition in Wollongong University of Dubai (UAE)