The untitled photo on the cover of JMEWS 13:1 is from the series Today’s Life and War, which emerged from my experiences during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War. This conflict has had a strong symbolic influence on the emotional life of my generation. Although we may be safe within the walls of our homes, the war continues to reach us through newspapers, television, and the Internet.
This body of work represents war and its legacy, how it permeates all aspects of contemporary society. I capture moments that reference the ongoing duality of life and war without precluding hope. In a fictionalized battlefield, I show a couple in a series of everyday activities: eating breakfast, watching television, and celebrating their wedding. Though they do not visibly express emotion, the man and woman embody the power of perseverance, determination, and survival.
Gohar Dashti was born in Iran in 1980, a year after...
