Malaysia-based Iranian photographer's charity photo series to assist refugee families

Amin taps into the mood of a rainy day in KL with 'I Watched The Rain All Evening'. Photos: Amin Kamrani

Iranian Amin Kamrani was 15 when he attended his first photography class. It was back in his hometown of Tehran as part of his summer activities before his school year began.

During the class, his teacher was very dismissive of the students and said none would make it as photographers.

But Amin did not want to believe him.

“I wanted to be a photographer. It was then that I used my savings to buy my first camera. That was the first step to prove the teacher wrong, ” recalls Amin, 25, in a recent interview.

Ten years later, and Amin is still on the path of photography. Now living in Malaysia, he’s using his shutterbug skills for a good cause.

He has come up with a photo series titled 20/20 to raise relief funds for refugee communities here affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He says 25% of the proceeds from the photos will be channeled to these communities.

Amin’s 20/20 features 20 of his photo works, each offered as a limited edition set of 20 prints.

Amin's 'Road And For', a photo taken on the road up to Genting Highlands, Pahang.

He says this photo print project began in the early days of the movement control order (MCO) in Malaysia.

“While this crisis has affected our perspective of many things in the world, I felt my photos have now found a new meaning. They help us look at what we have outside the walls of our houses, ” says Amin.

Born in Tehran, Amin came to Malaysia in 2011, where he is now a freelance photographer, filmmaker, translator, teacher and social worker. Since 2017, he has been actively collaborating with several NGOs and media organisations as a freelance media activist. He is also involved with the refugee arts-based Parastoo Theatre group.

“Malaysia is now more home to me than Iran. However, I am still a stranger in both lands. My life is in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is the place that gave me friends from everywhere in the world. I developed my life, my career as an artist, my worldview, and my values in the streets and cafes of KL. I have laughed and cried, fallen in love, gone on adventures here, ” says Amin.

Amin’s works have previously been exhibited at the Refugee Festival series in George Town and Kuala Lumpur. His project frames of being showed portraits of individuals from refugee communities, who did not look like “typical” refugees normally portrayed in the media. He told stories about his subjects, which included a poet, model, theatre director, football coach and more.

He later ended up making a film about these individuals, which ended up becoming a finalist at the 4th Annual Shorty Social Good Awards (Best in Immigration and Refugees category) in 2019.

'Your Pattern In The window', photographed in George Town, Penang.

In his 20/20 project, Amin is has picked Malaysian locations (Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, Cherating beach) and also photos taken in Iran and Antalya, Turkey.

The project, he adds, is going well, with response to it being positive. One of the people who bought his photographs, Amin reveals, is theatre practitioner Jo Kukathas, who he considers an inspiration.

“Less than a year ago when I went to watch her show at DPAC, I was so amazed by the power, intelligence and depth of her work. I remember that at the time, I just wished I could see her and tell her how impressed I was to see her performance, ” says Amin.

“A few days ago, she sent me a picture of my framed After The Rain, and wrote: ‘I’ve put it in my room so I can go to KL even when I can’t go to KL’, ” he adds.

Each photo print from the 20/20 series costs RM450 (unframed) or RM500 (simple frame). Separate postage or delivery charge. To view the photos, contact Amin Kamrani at [e-mail] or WhatsApp: [phone].