Reza Deghati known As Reza
Reza Deghati known As Reza
Paris, France
About Reza Deghati known As Reza
REZA Philanthropist, idealist, humanist, architect and extraordinary photographer, REZA has been travelling the world for over 30 years, witnessing the struggles and joys of those who cross his path. Reza traversed over one hundred countries, photographing conflicts, revolutions and human catastrophes. His visual testimonies have been distributed through international sources like Time Magazine, Stern, Newsweek, El Pais, Paris-Match, and also in his books and exhibitions. Being more than just a photographer, Reza has been dedicated to promoting visual education among youth and women across the world since 1983. In 2001, he founded the NGO; Aina, in Afghanistan along with developing other training programs throughout the world from refugee camps to the suburbs of Europe, all while pursuing his reportages for different international medias. After Memories of Exile took place at the Carousel du Louvre in 1998, he shared his humanist vision through his exhibition Crossing Destinies on the gates of the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris in 2003. Since 2006, he has exposed worldwide One World, One Tribe, notably at the Parc de la Villette in Paris in 2010. The exhibition War + Peace, debuted in 2009 at the Caen Memorial Museum in Normandy, and it's success also brought it to the Banks of Garonne in Toulouse later on in 2012. The same year in Doha, Qatar, the exhibition Hope presented a major retrospective of his work. At last in 2013, Reza brought Windows of the Soul to the beautiful island of Corsica in three different exhibitions in Bastia, Corte and Bonifacio. This same year, the project Soul of Coffee pays tribute to the hands of the men and women who contributed to the production of coffee. Labor, dignity and traditions of these people are highlighted though over 300 photographic installations worldwide, as well as major international exhibitions in public spaces: the banks of the Seine River in Paris, Kew Garden in London, Rockefeller Center and Grand Central Station in New York along with the Santander in Colombia, in June of 2013 until January 2014. A book in seven languages and six video modules demonstrate the encounters between Reza and the producers, farmers and agronomists on plantations in India, Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia and in South Sudan. An author of twenty seven books and Fellow of National Geographic, Reza has been awarded several times, receiving the World Press Photo Award , the Infinity Award given by the International Center of Photography in 2010, as well as different titles from American universities. In 2005, France awarded him with the Médaille de Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite. Reza is a witness of the world's turmoil: "The world is my field of vision. From war to peace, my images are intended as a testimony of humanity as we follow the world's different paths."
Exhibitions:
On the ancestral roads of the coffee fields, the humanist photographer REZA, after an immersive work of several months, discovers the plantations of India, Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
Through the photographer’s encounters with the coffee producers, farmers and agronomists, the Soul of Coffee exhibition displays a photographic fresco from within, upon the culture of coffee and the lives of the communities involved in its production. Work, dignity and tradition are highlighted through the actions carried out in plantations.
This exhibition is the result of an exclusive collaboration between REZA and Nespresso, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the AAA for Sustainable Quality Program. Launched in 2003, in partnership with the NGO Rainforest Alliance, it is directly connected with agricultural communities and more than 52,000 farmers. It aims to ensure the supply of the highest quality coffee and sustainability of the coffee supply chain, while contributing to the improvements of living standards for the cultivators and their families.
These visual reports will lead to a series of international events. A selection of photographs will be exposed in all Nespresso stores around the world. Major cities will host outdoor exhibitions honoring the work of humans who contributed to the production of coffee. Paris, London, New York and Santander will be some of the cities hosting the exhibition Soul of Coffee. A website available in 35 languages, is dedicated to this project, where 5 short videos will be generated. A book on Reza’s photography will also be published, by the Michel Lafon editions, and sold in the Nespresso stores this summer. It will then be available in book stores this autumn.
Between poetry and visual testimony, REZA pays tribute to the hands of the people cultivating coffee, as well as the long term commitments to development and quality. From the immaculate flowers to the delicate red cherries that men and women seek on the often abrupt mountainsides, the highly demanding coffee culture is here revealed.
Exhibition Soul of Coffee by REZA – Paris
On the banks of the Seine river, in front of Musée d’Orsay, 75007 Paris.
Metro station : Solférino ou RER C Musée d’Orsay
From June 26th to September 8th 2013
Exhibition Soul of Coffe by REZA – London
Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, London
Kew Gardens Station, District line
Open daily from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
From July 12th to November 3rd 2013
Exhibition Soul of Coffe par REZA – New York (Upcoming)
#chantsdecafe #soulofcoffee #rezaphoto
www.nespresso.com/chantsdecafe