Short Artist Statement & Biography

For me, photography is a journey with no destination.  Every photograph is a still moment from life that shares daily narratives.  My work is attempting to document the left behind, lonely moments, and the environmental issues caused by humans.  My experiences in my home country Kurdistan have made me focus on this subject matter.  For years, the Kurds has been forced to live under a devastated life from neighboring regimes.  Mountains and the trees have become protection for these people and have likewise saved human lives.  My work reflects on these moments and the changes that fade away over time. I was born in Kurdistan, northern Iraq, then lived in a Syrian refugee camp for seven years with my family before moving to the United States in 1997.  In 2001, I graduated from Kentwood High School then attended Green River Community College where I graduated with an Associate of Art Degree in 2004.  In May 2009, I graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture, Bachelor’s of Art in Fine Arts, and minor in English Creative Writing.  Currently, I am pursuing my masters in Architecture from WSU and will transfer to a different school for advance master in architecture studies.   Exhibitions:  May  2008:  Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, Fine Arts Gallery III Graduation Ceremony Exhibition Mar.  2008:  Arts Collaboration, with Professor Robert Barnstone; School of Architecture Gallery Aug.  2008:  Wall Space, Café Moro Pullman, Washington Sep.  2005: Outdoor Photography Exhibition, WSU Compton Union Building Sep.  2004:  Outdoor Photography Exhibition, WSU Compton Union Building Publications: Spring 2009: Ruin, LandEscapes Magazine Fall 2008:    Swing of Memory, Supplemental Newsletter     Spring 2008:  Back Yard Shadow & Left Abandoned, LandEscapes Magazine Fall 2007: Seeking, LandEscapes Magazine Awards: 2008: Roberts Ellen Warren Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship, Department of Fine Arts 2007: NANPA College Fellowship, North America Nature Photography Association - Palm Spring, CA Summit Lecture: Spring 2008: Fine Art B&W Photography Course, Washington State University Spring 2009: Fine Art Digital Photography Course, Columbia Basin Community College

Photograph courtesy of Jian Yang