Mandana Mahdavi is a documentary photographer based in the USA. Born to Iranian-German parents, she was raised in London, with years spent in Madrid and New York. After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences from University College London, she transitioned into the arts, beginning her career as a Graduate Assistant at Sotheby’s. She later completed a Master’s in Management from Bayes Business School and worked as a Marketing Executive for Revolver Entertainment, a film distributor. While attending the London Institute of Photography, she began work on a project exploring modern masculinity. Her work was featured in a group exhibition at the Free Range Shows held at The Old Truman Brewery in London. In 2021, she was selected to participate in the Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIV and was awarded the Documentary Arts Fellowship for This Place Called Home, a multimedia project on an urban regeneration development in Clapton during the pandemic. She is an alumna of the International Center of Photography’s Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program, where she was the recipient of the Director’s Fellowship. Her project ÂME earned an honorable mention in the Emerging Artist category from the Lucie Foundation and was a finalist for The Alexia Grant, in 2023. She is currently developing Flood of Dark, a project exploring endometriosis and the politics of gendered pain. Mandana’s work is distinguished by her dedication to long-form, community-centered storytelling, delving into themes of identity, resilience, and social justice while uncovering the psychological undercurrents that shape human experiences.
Acheivements
2024 Rita K. Hillman Foundation Fellowship, The Rita Hillman and Alex Foundation, USA
2024 New York Portfolio Review, USA
2023 The Alexia Grant (Finalist), The Alexia, USA
2022 Emerging Artist Scholarship (Honorable Mention), Lucie Foundation, USA
2021 Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIV, USA
2021 Documentary Arts Fellowship, Documentary Arts, USA
2021 Director’s Fellowship, International Center of Photography, USA
Education
2023 Journalism and Trauma, Poynter Center, USA
2022 (Advanced) Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism, International Center of Photography, USA
2021 Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism, International Center of Photography, Online
2017 Professional Photography Course, London Institute of Photography, UK
2010 Management MSc, Bayes Business School, UK
2006 Biomedical Sciences BSc, University College London, UK
Selected Exhibitions
2023 Parallel Horizons, Chashama, USA
2023 Faculty and Staff Showcase, International Center of Photography, USA
2022 Shifting Selves, International Center of Photography Museum, USA
2021 This Was the Year That Was, International Center of Photography, USA
2018 Free Range Shows, The Old Truman Brewery, UK
Selected Features
2023 Musee Magazine, ‘Parallel Horizons: An International Photography Collective Exhibition in Chelsea’, October 2023
2023 Blind Magazine, ‘A New Collective is Born in New York’, September 2023
2023 Visura, ‘Parallel Horizons features nine international artists navigating landscapes of transformation’, September 2023
2023 Artdoc, ‘Parallel Horizons’, September 2023
2023 The Alexia at Newhouse/Syracuse University, ‘A Look Back: The Alexia 2023 Winners’, May 2023
Selected Publications
2024 Der Greif, Featured Photographer
2023 PhotoVogue, Featured Photographer
2022 Shift Magazine, Featured Photographer
Talks
2023 Artist Talk at the Parallel Horizons Exhibition, Chashama, moderated by Alexey Yurenev