Weekend Portfolio: Ali Motamedi

The Dreamers

This photo series shows America through the lens of an immigrant. I began to see and get to know this land as soon as I arrived here more than a decade ago. Therefore, this project has a beginning, but no end. As I commuted daily in New York City and traveled frequently for work and leisure to other states, and made adventurous trips to far-flung locations like Hawaii and Alaska, I started gathering the moments that have been critical to take notice of. The significance of these moments comes from the cultural difference and social distance I felt when I encountered them. A new definition of beauty, a complex interaction on the street or a publicly accepted tradition made me wonder and made me eager to record it.

Ali Motamedi

Ali Motamedi is a writer, photographer and educator whose work focuses on city life, travel, immigration, and identity. He has a PhD in civil engineering and has studied fine arts at CUNY and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His essays and short stories have been published in Farsi and English literary magazines, and his photography has been displayed in several group exhibitions in both Tehran and the US. Besides conducting creative workshops, he has taught engineering courses to undergraduate and graduate students across the country.

To see more of Ali’s work, visit here.