Kiana was born in Iran in 1988. Moving to Canada in 2005, photography soon became her preferred way to bridge the communication gap faced in a new country with a new language and culture. With a keen interest in documentary projects, Kiana aims to use her camera to tell stories, with a social message. She presently pursues projects that illuminate her cultural background. Focusing on young women, Kiana continues to document challenges Iranian people face, both in Iran and abroad. Kiana has interned with Hot Doc Festival and Magnum Photo Agency in Toronto and worked as an assistant with Magnum photographers, Christopher Anderson and Peter Marlow.
EDUCATION
B.F.A. the School of Image Arts, Ryerson University (2011)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Your Veil is a Battleground, I.M.A Gallery, Toronto (2012)
The Journey, Guernsey Photo Festival, May/June 2012 (UPCOMING)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Maximum Exposure, Thesis Exhibition, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto (2011)
Screening at Camera Bar, Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto (2011)
Function Group Show, Steam Whistle Gallery Space, Toronto (2011)
Full Frame Group Show, I.M.A. Gallery, Toronto (2010)
The Human Subject, Ryerson Gallery, Toronto (2010)
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
Look3 Festival Scholarship, to attend the Bruce Gildan Masterclass (June 2012)
Magenta Flash Forward Emerging Photographers, from Canada (May 2012)
66th CPOY, third place in International Picture Story (Nov 2011)
National Geographic Award, Presented at Eddie Adams Workshop, New York (Oct 2011)
Eddie Adams Workshop, BarnStorm XXIV (Oct 2011)
Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) Fellowship, New York (Sep 2011)
Guernsey Photo Festival, £5,000 toward continuation of a project (Jul 2011)
Optic Nerve Contest, BlackFlash Magazine (May 2011)
Scotia Bank Scholarship, to attend Magnum Workshop, Toronto (May 2011)
Full Frame Group Show, honorable mention, Toronto (Dec 2010)
Paul Sample Memorial Award, Toronto (Nov 2010)
MEDIA
Guernsey Photography Festival Blog Interview (Oct/Nov 2011) - Part One & Part Two
The New Breed of Documentary Photoraphers, Verve Photo (Nov 2011)
Turning Point on New York Times Lens Blog (Aug 2011)
BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS
Magenta Flash Forward Vol. 13, 2012
White Wall Review Magazine, 2011
Magenta Flash Forward Vol. 12, 2011
BlackFlash Magazine, 2011