© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist
Ali Tahayori
born Iran 1980, Australia from 2007
Maman Simin 2023
UV print on glass, hand-cut glass, silicone on aluminium
‘This is my grandmother, Maman Simin. She died recently, and this is the last photograph I took of her before she passed away. The portrait is not only an image of my maternal grandmother but also represents her as a personification of the nurturing and life-giving Mother Earth, the homeland, and all our ancestors. Looking at the image, I am reassured that she is in a good place, resting in the infinity, while praying for her children. The photograph was printed on clear glass, then broken by hand, and reassembled to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.’
Iranian-born artist Ali Tahayori lives and works on Gadigal Land in Sydney. Tahayori uses archival materials, narrative fragments and performative approaches to explore themes of identity, home and belonging, drawing on ancient Iranian philosophies about light and mirrors.
The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 celebrates established and emerging artistic talent from across the country.
Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building the amazing portrait collection!
