I am Shiva Akhlaghi, an Iranian born fashion and fine art photographer. My work seeks to capture the beauty, depth, and emotional landscapes of people especially women. In my homeland, this celebration of the feminine spirit through art became both my voice and the reason for my silencing. As a Baháʼí woman, my devotion to this art made me unacceptable in the eyes of the religious regime. I was imprisoned for eight months; my photography studio was shuttered; I was ultimately forced into exile.
Luxembourg became my second home a land that quietly told me ,even when our roots are torn, we can bloom again. From the very beginning, this country embraced my husband, our son, and me with love, safety, and peace. It gave me the chance to breathe, to create, and to begin again. Among my achievements, I was selected as one of the top 30 photographers in Asia at the 2015 Angkor Photo Festival for my fine art series I Will Be Your Mirror, created in Cambodia. This series has since been exhibited in six countries.
Two of my most meaningful collections are I Am You and You Are Me, which celebrates the power of sisterhood and was featured by PhotoVogue, and Still Woman, a poetic tribute to feminine resilience. In Luxembourg, I have been honored to create portraits for leading companies such as Chanel, Bentley, and Lamborghini, as well as for members of parliament, writers, artists, and other influential figures.
In each portrait, I search for the unspoken story. I look gently sometimes too deeply to find the light within a gaze. My visual language is one of poetry: with light, color, and movement, I try to express what words cannot. I believe that when women support each other with love, they become a transformative force for peace. This is the world I long for, and through my art I hope to bring it a little closer.
It is my deepest wish to dedicate more of my art to serving the women of my second home, Luxembourg through collaboration with organizations and spaces that uplift women and where my artistic vision can contribute meaningfully. I hope soon to begin offering photography workshops, especially for young girls, to pass on what I have learned. If my journey and skills can help them find their voice, express their stories, and move toward artistic and financial independence, then I know my work has purpose.