Mohammad Sorkhabi

Mohammad Sorkhabi (born 1985, Mashhad, Iran), also known as "Sorkhe", is an Iranian fine art photographer whose practice bridges classical pictorial traditions and contemporary psychological narratives.

Deeply influenced by Romantic and Renaissance painting — first encountered through his mother’s art collection and his father’s old film cameras in childhood — he employs classical lighting, rich tonality, atmospheric composition, and deliberate digital intervention to create images filled with emotional depth and ambiguity.

Rather than delivering clear messages, Sorkhabi’s work focuses on openness. His process begins with an intuitive impulse and evolves through mental visualization, performance, and careful editing. The resulting photographs resist closure, inviting viewers to bring their own experiences and interpretations into the frame.

Recurring themes in his projects include memory, time, the body, identity, and the quiet tension between presence and absence. His distinctive style — often somber, introspective, and gothic in atmosphere — creates a space where the classical and the contemporary meet.

Since 2015, his work has been recognized internationally through awards and exhibitions in countries such as Canada, Italy, the UAE, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. He currently lives and works in Tehran, Iran.

Exhibitions

• RAK Art Festival / Civilization – Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, 2026
• BONGEREH Debut Art Event – Indra Gallery, London, UK, 2025
• International ARTEALTA Contest (1st Edition) – Alina Art Foundation, Aosta, Italy, 2024
• Open Concept Photography Exhibition – Decode Gallery, Arizona, USA, 2024
• International Group Exhibition – LoosenArt, Millepiani, Rome, Italy, 2020
• Group Photography & Installation Exhibition – Etemad Negarestan Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2019
• International Photo Expo – Espace des Arts Sans Frontières, Paris, France, 2018
• Group Photography Exhibitions – Mojdeh Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2018 & 2019
• Group Photography Exhibition – Maks Gallery, Tehran, Iran, 2018
• Group Photography Exhibition – In Goman Gallery, Isfahan, Iran, 2018

Awards

• Selected Artist– RAK Art Festival / Civilization – Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, 2026
• Honorable Mention – “Embrace of the Moment,” SPC Smartphone Photography Competition, China, 2025
• Fine Work– International Martial Arts Photography Contest – UNESCO, ICM, 2024
• Fine Work – Alina Art Foundation, ArteAlta, 2024
• Finalist – Siena International Photo Awards, 2022
• Honorable Mention – Fascinating Faces and Characters, Siena International Photo Awards, 2021
• Finalist – Altered Images –18th Annual Smithsonian Photo Contest, 2020
• Winning Medal– Asahi Shimbun Photo Contest, 2018
• Honorable Mention – Fine Art Photography Awards, 2018
• Nominee – Monochrome Photography Awards, 2017
• Portrait Honorable Mentions (Professional Category) – Tokyo International Photo Awards (TIFA), 2017
• First Place (Fine Art Category)– Tirgan Photo Festival, Toronto, Canada, 2015
• Finalist with Two Works & Exhibited – White Box Gallery – Kuala Lumpur International Photo Awards, 2015
• Second & Third Place and Four Honorable Mentions – Moscow International Photo Awards, (MIFA) 2015