The journey to discovering creativity and self is different for every artist. Some follow a defined, more straightforward path, while others encounter challenges and adversity in their quest. For multifaceted artist Forough Yavari, the road has been circuitous and sometimes perilous, with a career that spans countries and politics, but the bright light has always been the ability to explore, learn and create.
Born in Shiraz, Iran, Yavari’s parents met when they were students at Shiraz University and both were politically minded, becoming activists at the time of the revolution of 1979. It was this direction that shaped the lives of the Yavari family in the years that followed.
After the family moved from Shiraz to Arak when Forough was eight, the political climate of the time was challenging for the household, especially as the Iran–Iraq war raged around them. Work and stability were hard to come by, and the family constantly moved cities, with Forough and her sister frequently changing schools — life was more than unsettling. However, there was some respite when the family spent a little time in Kerman, far away from the war.
Soon it was time for school to take precedence and once again the family moved, this time to Tehran. As a student, Forough planned to study art at university, deciding on theatre before changed to painting. Fortuitously she discovered photography, and at the conclusion of her degree, she began to explore the possibilities that the camera held for her in the future.
Working in many professions including graphic and web design, commercial photography and videography to save money in her spare time, Forough began experimenting. She combined the painted and photographed image, and so began a new direction for the creative in her mid-twenties.
In the 2000s in Iran there was limited access to the internet and digital art was unknown. However, Forough researched and taught herself Photoshop, then she manipulated and composed, layering images and paintings together. Soon she had created her own style of art, and she is proud to say that she was one of the first to introduce art enabled by software, or digital art, to Iran.
Concurrently Forough entered a competition held by The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT October 2009) in Iran, with her ‘new style.’ It caused a commotion as the jury were unable to categorise the entry as either a photograph or a painting. Importantly, from this competition, one of her works was purchased for the collection of the University of Westminster and Forough’s international profile was established.
Throughout this period Forough had no proper photographic equipment, using only a Fuji compact camera. Her mentor at the time, Javid Ramezani, helped her buy a second-hand full frame camera by selling two of her works, loaned her some lenses and inspired Forough to explore her new style.
These were the years of experimentation and Forough was creating for exhibitions in Tehran with women, their environment and plight as the focus of her art. Subsequently, she was represented by the renowned Shirin Art Gallery in Tehran, and her work was exhibited and found its way into private collections.
However, times were tempestuous with the start of the Green Movement demonstrations and there was much unrest. Witnessing one of the major protests firsthand brought a sharper awareness of social and political issues into her work. It coincided with Forough beginning to consider leaving the country, seeking greater freedom of expression in her art and the chance to explore it abroad. Europe was a choice, but with an intrepid sense of exploration, it was Australia that Forough and her husband decided to make their home.
Arriving in Brisbane, with little background on her new country, there were challenges of a different kind. Moving meant starting again. While there were many plans to keep in touch with friends and her gallery in Tehran, the distance between countries and the expense of travelling made this difficult. And so began the process of re-establishing her name and work.
Forough’s immense talent was evident from her body of photographic work, awards and status on a global stage and within two months there was a group exhibition at the State Library of Queensland. It was then that Forough decided to focus on the development of her art, not solely photography. However, after two years, with her savings depleted and unable to find the right gallery representation, she turned her attention to photographic competitions. What began as a practical decision soon became a turning point in her career.
Over the following years, she received widespread recognition both nationally and internationally, earning the Master of Photography distinction from the Australian Institute of Professional Photography, two International Portrait Photographer of the Year titles, two WPPI Grand Awards, and two Portrait Masters Grand Awards. Her work has also been a finalist in prestigious art prizes such as the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, the National Photographic Portrait Prize and the Martin Kentor Portrait Prize. These achievements established her reputation as an artist and educator, creating opportunities to teach, judge, exhibit and collaborate internationally, while ultimately providing the foundation for her return to a multidisciplinary contemporary art practice.
Over the next decade, Forough worked as a photographer to support her art, learned about business, won competitions and served as a juror on prestigious award programs, all while her work sold in the US and Europe. By chance she met Chris Davis in LA, who is now her US agent for her photographic art, and through Davis she was encouraged to participate in some international art fairs, including the LA Art Show, the MIA Art Fair in Milan, the Miami Art Fair and its many satellites. It all created more recognition, sales and initiated artistic change in her practice.
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In 2022 Davis requested a collection of work from Forough and encouraged her to experiment with new ideas that culminated in the artist developing wearable sculpture on a human subject. Forough travelled to Miami and installed two sculptures she had created (instead of using models) to complement her concept for the new collection and so her photography organically morphed into something more tangible and physical.
Today, Forough is creating sculptural lighting and forms and is represented in Australia by Fletcher Arts. She has participated in Melbourne Design Week in both 2025 and 2026 with her objects and, this year, she also co-curated a performance with Afsaneh Rahimian titled Held In The In-Between. This sensitive dance was inspired by the latest uprising in Iran and speaks of the Persian experience of suffering and loss, hope and peace. The performance was Forough’s response to the many deaths from the demonstrations and a yearning to connect with people.
As well as the performance, Forough extended her artistic talents and created a large work on white photographic background paper with more than a thousand names of people who had died in the demonstrations. It features an arch and a circle of names and a cascading red stripe with Forough sitting in the middle. A behind-the-scenes Instagram reel of the making of the artwork went viral and has been viewed 1.3 million times and received 78,000 likes. Further extrapolating the idea of this work, another is in progress with more than four thousand names to date.
While photography has been a catalyst for installation, performance, sculpture and object making, in the future Forough is contemplating combining all these elements to create a totally immersive human experience.
As Forough says, “I don’t know what exactly I should name myself, because I am still trying to find out, but I’m not rushing it, because I think it will come organically. And I’m so excited about the future because when I started working with Sarah (Sarah Fletcher, Fletcher Arts) two years ago now and especially in the 2026 Melbourne Design Week, I started exploring myself and what direction I’m actually heading.
Sarah has given me a brave platform, to be free, to try things and see the reaction of people to my practice. Now I have to figure out how I can develop it, how I can move forward. I think I’m blossoming right now, that’s my excitement. I couldn’t say that ten years ago, I was lost, but today I know I feel like I know myself better.”
Forough Yavari is a major talent, and her expression of photography, art and design keeps expanding and developing. Her work resonates through its beauty and depth, fragility and strength — and, whatever the genre, Forough creates emotion and wonder that always touches the heart.