KAYHAN JAFAR-SHAGHAGHI

Kayhan Jafar-Shaghaghi is an Iranian-born photographic artist based in Edinburgh, working exclusively with an 8×10 view camera and traditional darkroom processes. His work has been exhibited internationally, including a solo exhibition, Poise, at Chung 24 Gallery, San Francisco (2025), and at LA Photo (2026). He is the recipient of the Scottish Portrait Award (2024) and the Best in Show award at the Centre for Photographic Arts, Carmel, California (2023). His photographs explore memory, migration and the enduring relationship between humanity and the natural world through meticulously handcrafted analogue prints.

He states that “My interest lies not only in what photography depicts, but in the material process itself—embracing imperfection, chance and craftsmanship to create prints that carry the physical presence of their making.”

OCTOPUS ON PLINTH

Shaghaghi thinks of his practice as an extension of something fundamentally human. Long before language was written, people arranged the objects around them to make sense of the world and to express emotions that could not be spoken. He approaches photography in much the same way. Flowers, marine life, birds, fruit and the human body become a visual vocabulary through which he explores memory, loss, resilience and our place within nature.

Working exclusively with an 8×10 view camera, Shaghaghi creates carefully constructed images that are realised entirely through analogue processes. The photograph is only the beginning. The darkroom is where much of the work is completed, and where he continues to experiment with historical techniques inspired by early photographic pioneers such as Hill & Adamson, whose work first captivated him while he was studying at the University of St Andrews.

Work Details

  • Octopus on Plinth

  • Gelatine silver print

  • 50” × 40”

  • Unique