Ali Shokri, a nature photographer from Tabriz, will exhibit a small sample of his works at Mojdeh Art Gallery in Tehran.
From May 4-14, a total of 11 black-and-white photographs selected from a large oeuvre amassed in 13 years will be displayed in the gallery located at No. 27, Eastern 18th St., North Allameh Avenue in Sa’adatabad, Honaronline reported.
The photos are a testimony to Shokri’s love of nature, particularly his fascination with trees. The exhibition is titled “The Passion of Trees,” the same title of his 2017 book released by the UK-based publishing house of Matador Books, which contains 111 photos of trees and forests.
The photo exhibition will also be a launching ceremony for the book that includes a foreword by US-based nonagenarian photographer Hadi Shafaieh who is well known for his portraits.
The photos are from a collection taken in the northwestern Iranian region of Azarbaijan. Over the years, Shokri has witnessed the forests of his homeland receding, giving room to roads, dams and urban development.
“To me, each tree, like a human being, has a tale to tell. When a tree is cut, its fate will be altered for the worse; a whole story will be interrupted forever,” he said.
“I can sort of feel that the trees, bundled in the back of trucks, are cursing us for their broken hands, wounded faces and severed roots.”
Through his photography, Shokri encourages viewers to look afresh at the world around them, to observe nature with care and consider the devastating effects of climate change and the decline of countless animals and plants.
The Passion of Trees is Shokri’s stark reminder that the natural world deserves more care than what it receives.
