Negar Latifian is an Iranian born artist based in Stockholm. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) Diploma in chemical engineering from University of Tehran (2013) and an MFA in Photography from the College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran (2017). Negar’s work revolves around her lifelong fascination with images. She employs various forms of imagery in her work, ranging from the daguerreotype, the first photographic process ever used, to Polaroids and digital photography, in her quest to capture the parallel worlds she perceives in her daily life. Latifian’s work explores themes of gender, politics and social issues. Her background in chemical engineering has been instrumental in her experimental methods of photography, such as cyanotype and daguerreotype.
Negar’s work has been exhibited in several countries, including Iran, France, the US, Spain, China, Portugal, and India, and has been featured in various museums and galleries, including the Griffin Museum of Photography (MA) and the Craft & Folk Art Museum (LA). She was awarded an art residency at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris, where she had the opportunity to work on her projects and showcase her work in different open studios.
In an article titled “5 Photographers Show What It’s Like to Be a Young Iranian Today,” Jacqui Palumbo reviewed Negar’s work alongside four other artists. Her work showcases the realities of contemporary Iranian society and invites viewers to reflect on broader social and political issues.
About the work: “سالم …فروشی” (“Healthy … for sale” in Farsi) is a hauntingly repetitive phrase that adorns the walls and every corner of the bustling Farhang Hosseini Alley in central Tehran, Iran. This alley, more commonly known as Kidney Alley, is a notorious black market for the sale of vital organs such as kidneys and livers.
Negar stumbled upon this alley after her mother underwent surgery in a hospital located behind it. As she walked through the alley, she was struck by the presence of each person behind the labels that read “kidney/liver, woman/man, age, blood type, healthy, for sale, and a phone number.” These few words speak volumes about the desperation that leads individuals to sell their health for survival or to support their families.
“O-AB+B+A-B-O+A+AB-” is a handmade photo book featuring a 7-meter panoramic view of the kidney alley. The viewer can walk through the alley by turning the pages of the book and examining each label with a magnifying glass. Through her unique approach, Negar sheds light on a dark reality and challenges viewers to confront the ethics and morality surrounding the organ trade. Her work invites us to consider the human cost of such practices and to reflect on the values we uphold as a society.
work in the exhibition
“O-AB+B+A-B-O+A+AB-”
- digital prints and book of photographic paper
- 3 rows of 45 cm x 700 cm (wall) + 25.5cm x 19.cm (photo book)
- venue: GALLERI MONITOR
contact
Website: www.negarlatifian.com
Instagram: @neela_ltfn
exhibition.school 