Photo Vogue Regional open call: Middle East North Africa [MENA] & the Diaspora
At the crossroads between the Middle East and the South Caucasus, Armenia and its people
have endured as a resilient presence through centuries of displacement, survival and cultural continuity.
Indigenous to their ancestral homeland, Armenians have carried their identity across borders and generations,
from Armenia throughout the Diaspora, spanning MENA to Los Angeles and beyond.
Mother Armenia is represented by two archetypes of the Divine Feminine in Armenian culture:
The Mother who is the Nurturer and the Mother who is the Protector. The duality of the Lover and the Fighter.
Through portraiture, landscape, and visual fragments of memory,
this photo series honors the femininity, creative expression, spiritual strength, and resilience of Armenian women.
Our images draw inspiration from the embodiment of Mother Armenia,
as evoked through the monumental statues of Yerevan, Ijevan, Gyumri, and Tavush
alongside representations of the Divine Feminine in Armenian culture and dance.
The final work unfolds through a mixed-media language inspired by Armenian artist, Sergei Parajanov,
as our images are superimposed onto my own film photographs taken during my most recent trip to Armenia in 2023.
Paying homage to the motherland, I only used flowers that also grow in Armenia;
For Nurturer, I used magnolia leaves & burgundy dahlias to signify fire and resilience through generations.
For Protector, I used 3 Armenian barbecue skewers to replicate a sword, representing both hospitality and protection.
Flowers honor the tricolored Armenian flag: red carnations represent blood of ancestors, blue delphiniums represent the sky, orange marigold represent cultural creativity.
This work was created with an a team of Armenian women in an Armenian woman owned studio in Glendale, CAlifornia, usa:
Photographer/Creative Director/Floral Design: Has Alexandra @hasalexandra_
Model: Melanie Moradi @moradimanor
Stylist: Anaïs Gyulbudaghyan @anaispaws
Hair & Makeup Artist: Christina Tagakchyan @prettylashbabes
Photo Assistant: Nanor Zinzalian @sincerelynanor
Photo Studio: Enzie Studios @enziestudios
shot on mix of digital & 35mm film
Film Develop & Scan: @thatonephotolab
Fashion Credits:
Armenian Designers:
- Red Jacket: Seventy V Three @seventy.v.three by Varditer Muradyan @vardimurad
- Silver jewelry: Pregomesh @pregomesh
- Pearls: vintage from Armenia
LA designers from Showroom SR316 @sr316_
- Red Dress: Marina Leight Atelier @marinaleightatelier
- Grey Skirt: Luxi Deng @luxideng_
- Belt: Natashia @natashia.studio