Mohacut Catalog Art Direction

Choosing the right setting to photograph my lamps had been a significant challenge. I didn’t want to place and photograph them in a typical home setting alongside furniture I hadn’t designed. I sought a concept that could be used for writing the texts inside the catalog and other sections. One day, I shared this concern with my photographer friend, Ali Daghigh. He mentioned that furniture brands have recently been using printed banners to create a backdrop in their store displays. I kept the idea of using banners in mind.

Three months later, while working in my workshop and contemplating the city of Kashan and the architecture of its houses (which I deeply admire), I thought, “I would love to photograph my work in the old houses of Kashan, but not the restored ones.” Suddenly, I realized I had three elements:

1. The ruined houses of Kashan, symbols of Iran’s former grandeur now in decay, reflecting the precarious state of contemporary Iran teetering on the brink of cultural and social collapse.

2. Printed banners with images of modern Western spaces, which I see as symbols of my perception of the West that progresses daily and continually pushes boundaries in industry and art.

3. My lamps, born from my complex experience of living in today’s Iran, which I use to bridge these two worlds.

I assembled a team including a photographer and two photography assistants, and we traveled to Kashan. We selected a few ruined houses, measured the dimensions of suitable locations, chose photos accordingly, and printed banners in sizes that would appear realistic. We installed the banners, positioned the lamps in front of them, and took the photographs. The entire photography process took two weeks, and it was one of the hardest yet most rewarding experiences of my life.