Fazilat Soukhakian

Biography

Fazilat Soukhakian is an Iranian American artist, photographer, and scholar currently an Associate Professor of Photography at Utah State University. She began her career as one of Iran's few female photojournalists. Her experiences in Iran, marked by social and political upheaval, greatly influenced her perspective and artistic direction. She moved to the United States in 2011 and received her Master of Fine Arts degree and her Ph.D in Architectural History from the University of Cincinnati. She is a visual storyteller who reflects on the social and political issues of her surroundings as a means for social change and justice. Her work revolves around depicting the stories of bravery and strength of those marginalized by society, highlighting the act of overcoming struggle and inspiring others.

Fazilat's work has garnered significant recognition and has been featured nationally and internationally in numerous exhibitions. Notable venues include Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, FotoNostrum in Barcelona, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) in Salt Lake City, and the Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) in Seattle. Awards such as the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Fellow, FotoNostrum Book Publication Award, Julia Margaret Cameron Award, Critical Mass Top 50, and Michael Reichmann Project Award recognize her photography contributions and commitment to pushing artistic boundaries.