Yalda Eskandari

Lives and works in Eugene, OR, USA

Artist statement

Yalda Eskandari is an Iranian interdisciplinary artist who has been actively working since 2011. She studied Visual Communication at Alzahra University in Tehran, Iran, and has worked as a freelance artist since graduating. Eskandari has held four solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group shows in Iran, Austria, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Her work has also been featured in several online solo and group exhibitions. In 2023, she began her MFA at the University of Oregon in the United States, where she is currently living and working. Eskandari’s practice is rooted in photography, even as it expands across disciplines including installation and video art. While the camera is often seen as a tool for capturing reality, she uses it to question the very notions of "truth" and "reality"—concepts she believes are easily manipulated. Her work revolves around the idea of "manipulation," which she explores to challenge fixed mindsets and socially constructed truths. Through various mediums, she investigates the relationships between place, space, and the body, as well as the systems we use to define and interpret reality. Eskandari was a 2024 fellow at MASS MoCA and has received several honors, including the CSWS Grant (Center for the Study of Women in Society), the Tiny Gallery Award (Knight Library, University of Oregon), and an Honorable Mention in the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris.

Artwork