Ramak Bamzar was born in Tehran in 1980 and grew up in Tehran and Mashhad during the Iran-Iraq war. She immigrated to Australia in 2010 where Melbourne became her beloved home. In 2003 Ramak completed a bachelor’s degree in Photography in Tehran and currently she is in the final semester of her Master of Fine Art at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.

What Ramak Bamzar's work about?

Ramak explores the female beauty and its relativeness through the pop culture and history. She inspired by glory of European portraits paintings and the uniqueness of Persian miniatures. In her body of work, she hopes to leave the viewers with a sense of female empowerment and an understanding of the relativity of beauty, and how female identity continues to be shaped by patriarchy and religion.

Ramak Bamzar was born in Tehran in 1980 and grew up in Tehran and Mashhad during the Iran-Iraq war. She immigrated to Australia in 2010 where Melbourne became her beloved home. In 2003 Ramak completed a bachelor’s degree in Photography in Tehran and currently she is in the final semester of her Master of Fine Art at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.

What Ramak Bamzar's work about?

Ramak explores the female beauty and its relativeness through the pop culture and history. She inspired by glory of European portraits paintings and the uniqueness of Persian miniatures. In her body of work, she hopes to leave the viewers with a sense of female empowerment and an understanding of the relativity of beauty, and how female identity continues to be shaped by patriarchy and religion.

This image visually reinforces Ramak Bamzar's artistic exploration of individuality and societal influences.

Ramak Bamzar, My Coloured Rectangle, 2024.

Curriculum Vitae

Reserch Document

Ramak Bamzar(b. 1980, Tehran) is a Naarm (Melbourne)-based artist whose photography weaves together personal and societal narratives. Her work explores how environmental and psychological forces shape self-concept and individuality, using her expert command of colour, texture, and lighting to capture these themes in visually compelling images. Drawing on art history, Bamzar strikes a balance between innocence and resilience, evoking emotion while encouraging deep reflection.

Bamzar's journey into the arts began during her youth in Tehran, where she first developed a passion for drawing and painting. In 1999, she transitioned to photography at Azad University, a decision that shaped her artistic practice. Financial limitations saw her shift from editorial work to commercial photography, but it was her Iranian Wedding series, created between 2005 and 2008, that cemented her reputation. In 2015, her photography gained international attention with an exhibition at Sydney's Head On International Photo Festival.

In 2019, Bamzar pursued a Master of Fine Arts at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), an experience that deepened her artistic exploration and self-reflection.

Her photography series, Moustachioed Women and Rhinoplastic Girls, showcased in 2022, has garnered critical acclaim and recognition within the art community. Bamzar’s work has been honoured with numerous prestigious awards and prominently featured in international photography festivals and galleries.

Her recent projects explore how strict ideological boundaries shape personal narratives, focusing on the impact of 'limited choices' on identity, personal freedom, relationships, and growth, shedding light on the broader consequences of living under such constraints.

"The works of Bamzar are a powerful expression of her experience, creating compelling narratives concerning control, dominance and individuality. One cannot help but meet the eyes of the characters who populate her tightly-produced photographs, drawn in by the force of their presence, provoking both empathy and discomfort. In her commitment to staging these images with diligence based on exhaustive research, the artist has effectively distilled within them the intensity of her convictions, conveying a profound truth about what it means to be a woman."

— Erin Irwin, Art Edit Magazine.

“What sets Bamzar’s work apart is her direct and captivating approach to subjects, skillfully merging personal and political statements. Her subjects, captured with a painterly perception, offer a magnetic glimpse into Iranian history as well as her own history, memories, and experiences. Her photographs reflect the role of women in a conservative and religiously influenced society.”

— Louise Tegart, Director of the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

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— Erin Irwin, Art Edit Magazine.

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