Secrecy Photograph

Forough Yavari is an award-winning fine art portrait and fashion photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by her life experiences as a woman from a middle eastern country, Forough’s work focuses on portraying the narrative behind the lives of women from around the world. Born in Iran during the Iranian Revolution, Forough was passionate about art from a young age, drawing and painting imaginary subjects as a child. She went on to formally pursue painting in university, where she discovered her passion for photography while modelling for a photography student. Forough began creating digital art, combining her knowledge and technical expertise in painting and photography. In 2011, she moved to Australia, where she built her photography business and became established as an international photographer. Increasingly, she found her work to be influenced by her personal experience as a woman from a middle eastern country. Her interest in women’s issues led to two series, “Revision of Portraits” and “Eternal Icons,” which were exhibited in Iran and Australia. Her recent series, “Salvation,” was motivated by the poetry of Langston Hughes, which she read during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. These dramatic portraits of Black women are mixed media works, in which Forough adds 24K hand-made gold pigment to the printed image. Forough is particularly interested in creating portraits of unique people with distinctive stories. Expression, lighting, and the stories behind the individual figure, play central roles in her images. Her work has been exhibited in various galleries and venues internationally.