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Tehran-based photographer NEWSHA TAVAKOLIAN and her husband, the New York Times journalist Thomas Erdbrink, have been barred from working in the country by Iranian authorities for the past four months. Photo of Newsha Tavakolian by Frank van Beek. Courtesy Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, Amsterdam.
Tehran-based Magnum photographer and photojournalist Newsha Tavakolian has been barred from working by Iranian authorities without formal explanation. Her husband, the New York Times correspondent Thomas Erdbrink, has had his press credentials similarly revoked.
As reported in the Times on June 10, the ban has been in force for nearly four months. The newspaper publicized the situation in response to speculation on social media surrounding Erdbrink’s lengthy absence from reporting amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States. According to the Times, officials of the Iranian foreign ministry gave the newspaper repeated assurances that Erdbrink would have his credentials reinstated. No details regarding Tavakolian’s status have been released.
Tavakolian began her career as a photojournalist, and has shot for the Times and other news agencies since 2001. She gradually transitioned to fine art photography, exploring gender politics, violence, conflict, and daily life in societies both in her native Iran and further afield. She has exhibited internationally, including at the Iran Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale; the Victoria & Albert Museum in London; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She received the Prince Claus Award in 2015 and was named a Magnum Associate in 2017.
Cassie Liu is an editorial intern of ArtAsiaPacific.
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