Mandana Mahdavi

Mandana Mahdavi is a documentary photographer based in the United States. Born to Iranian-German parents and raised in London, she spent her formative years in Madrid and New York, drawing on a multicultural foundation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Master’s in Management, and began her career in the visual arts before transitioning to photography. This interdisciplinary background informs her research-driven, narrative-focused approach. She is an alumna of the International Center of Photography’s Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program, where she was awarded the Director’s Fellowship, and was selected for the Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIV. Her work has been recognized and supported by institutions including the International Center of Photography, Documentary Arts, the Lucie Foundation, The Alexia, The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Mandana’s practice centers on long-form, community-engaged storytelling that explores identity, resilience, and social justice, uncovering the psychological undercurrents that define human experience.

2022 (Advanced) Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism, International Center of Photography, USA

2021 Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism, International Center of Photography, Online

2017 Professional Photography Course, London Institute of Photography, UK

2010 Management MSc, Bayes Business School, UK

2006 Biomedical Sciences BSc, University College London, UK

2024 Der Greif, Guest Room: Tina Campt and Keisha Scarville, Online

2023 Parallel Horizons, Chashama, USA

2023 Faculty and Staff Showcase, International Center of Photography, USA

2022 Shifting Selves, International Center of Photography Museum, USA

2021 This Was the Year That Was, International Center of Photography, USA

2018 Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, UK