Kamran Ashtary is a visual artist, researcher, and human rights defender. His work explores the space between memory and forgetting, between what we show and what we choose to hide.

From long walks through ancient cities to deep time spent in archives and exile, his photographs and writings uncover the quiet weight of history. Whether through pinhole images, studio experiments, or layered installations, his focus is always the same: to observe with patience and persistence and let the subject reveal itself.

See more


Featured Work:
Silence & Noise

  • Waiting
    These images do not resist. They do not collapse. They persist.
  • Blue woman with house on her head against a pink background
    Home and Noise
    These images are about load. About how people learn to live with the weight of their worlds until it feels normal.
  • A folded carpet
    Between Silence and Exposure
    Between Silence and Exposure is a photographic meditation on memory, exile, and the quiet endurance of presence.
  • Woman with hands holding her face
    Early Work (1988–1993)
    These early portraits mark the beginning of my journey as a photographer.
  • Bearded man holding suitcase in a hug
    Connecting Memories
    The photo series Connecting Memories began with a question I posed to others: If tonight were your last night in your home—what would you pack?
  • Young man in cap, smoking, against the backdrop of remembered house
    Traveler-1001 Nights
    Where are we going? Where have we been? That’s the question for the traveler.