Neela Negar Latifian's artistic practice explores urban spaces, socio-economic disparity, and the silent narratives of marginalized voices through photography, photo intervention, and technology. She works with diverse methods, from early techniques like daguerreotype and alternative processes to experimental forms such as 3D exhibitions and photobooks. For her, photography serves as a sensory language for interaction, exploration, and introspection, transforming urban spaces into layered experiences where themes of anonymity, spatial ownership, and resilience emerge.
Central to her work is capturing the traces individuals leave behind—graffiti, found objects, and subtle imprints—as markers of presence and resistance within public spaces shaped by neoliberal and capitalist dynamics. Omitting human figures heightens feelings of alienation and anonymity, prompting viewers to consider the unseen lives shaping these environments. This approach invites reflection on public space ownership, social production, and the persistence of marginalized voices within urban landscapes.
Neela's use of alternative photographic techniques brings a layered materiality that connects past and present through sensorial experience, adding a tactile, contemplative quality to my work. Photobooks hold a special place in my practice; they’re not merely for documentation but serve as portals for intimate, sensory engagement. Each book encourages personal exploration, blending narrative and discovery in a format that invites a deeper dialogue with the subject.
By blending photography with new technologies, her practice challenges societal norms, reimagining urban spaces as dynamic, interactive environments.
HyperIsland Yrkehögskolan, 2020-2022
College of Fine Arts, 2014-2017
College of Engineering. 2008-2013
Bookbinding & Cover Design Training, Aria Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2019.
Cyanotype Portraiture Workshop, Contextile 2018, Guimarães, portugal, 2018.
Photography Independant Courses, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran, 2011-2013.
Selected artist in “Focus Iran 3” competition, Farhang Foundation, LA, USA, 2019.
Finalist artist in “Foto Sintese” Festival, Lisbon, Portugal, 2018.
Selected artist in “8th Annual Self-Published Photobook Show”, Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY, US, 2017.
1st Place in Photography Section in 1st Nafas Visual Arts Festival, Tehran. Iran, 2017.
Open Up Festival, HDK-Valand, Academy of Art & Design, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, 2023.
Focus Iran 3, Viewpoint Gallery, UC Irvine, USA, 2019.
Focus Iran 3, Craft & Folks Museum, LA, USA, 2019.
Foto Sintese Festival, Central Tejo / EDP Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal, 2018.
8 th Annual Self-Published PhotoBook Show, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA, USA, 2018.
ESOT Visual Art Exhibition, ESOT Congress, Barcelona, Spain, 2017.
“The Tehran” Photography Group Exhibition, Shalman Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2017.
8th Annual Self-Published Photobook Show, Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY, US, 2017.
1st Nafas Visual Arts Festival Elected Artworks, Kunming, China, 2017.
Be Immortal Group Open Studio, Cité International des Arts, Paris, France, 2017.
Solo Open Studio, Cité International des Arts, Paris, France, 2017.
1st Nafas Visual Arts Festival Elected Artworks, Chennai, India, 2017.
“Tehran and Beyond” Photography Group Exhibition, Silk Road Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2017.
1 st Annual Student Photography Exhibition of University of Tehran, Tehran Gallery, University of Tehran, Iran, 2017.
1st Nafas Visual Arts Festival, Iranian Artists Forum, Tehran, Iran, 2016.