Jassem Ghazbanpour (Persian: جاسم غضبانپور; born May 31, 1963) is an Iranian photographer known for his work in social documentary, war photography, and architectural photography.
Biography
Ghazbanpour was born in Khorramshahr, Iran, in 1963. He began photographing social documentary subjects in 1976, focusing on the daily life of people in his birthplace. With the onset of the Iran–Iraq War in 1980, he turned to photographing battlefields and war-affected cities to document the conflict's impact. He earned a BA in photography from Tehran University of Art (1983–1986).
His photographic work has extended beyond Iran to Afghanistan (just after the fall of the Taliban), Iraq (the Gulf War and Iraq War), and Iraqi Kurdistan (during its independence period). After the war, he shifted focus to documenting Iranian culture, art, and architecture.
Published Works
Ghazbanpour has published numerous books, including Chemical Massacre in Halabja, Sky and Earth: Tehran under Missile Attack, New Life – Old Structure, Iranian House, Iran from the Sky, The Splendor of Iran (3 volumes), Bam: Photo Report on Bam Before and After the Earthquake, and Splendors of Quran Calligraphy & Illumination (contributor Martin Lings, photographs by Ghazbanpour, Thames & Hudson, 2005).
Exhibitions
He has held solo and group exhibitions in Iran and internationally, including at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the Asia Society Museum in New York, the Tokyo International University of Fine Art and Music (Japan), and various galleries in Tehran.
Awards
His recognitions include a Merit Certificate from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (1990), "Active Photographer of the Year" awards from the Iranian Photographers House (2004, 2006), and an Honor Plaque for best work at the Festival of Top Research and Innovation in Urban Management (2008).
Film Photography
Ghazbanpour contributed to the films And Life Goes On (Abbas Kiarostami, 1992) and The Pear Tree (Dariush Mehrjoui, 1998).
Professional Memberships
He is a member of the National Association of Photography, the Iran Press Photographers Association, the Iran Cultural Heritage Photographers Association, the Canadian Association for Photographic Art (CAPA), and other professional organizations.
