Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jumana Mograbi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jumana, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I became interested in photography at 12 years old when my step dad bought me my first digital camera (I think he was afraid I would break his each time I used it) and ever since then it has become a part of my life. After moving to the States I was able to take darkroom photography classes in highschool and my interest in the subject only grew, I started to slowly see it as an art form and as a way of finally seeing at the world the way I wanted to.

I then received my Bachelors in Photography from Parsons School of Design in 2021, I established my vision and artistic style there, and I felt very supported by my professors to continue understanding why I wanted to create. After graduating I began working as a freelance photographer and retouchr, often collaborating with people I knew and focusing on personal projects.

I believe that the learning process can continue for the rest of your life, as long as you are willing to grow as an artist and develop your skills further. The older I get the more confident I become in my work and that confidence pushes me to reach out to others for collaboration and creation. Knowing what I know now, the skills I have found most valuable are understanding your reason for making art and dedicating enough time to it, even though there never seems to be enough time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a freelance photographer and visual artist based in New York, my work is centered around documenting the everyday in relation to memory, attachment and identity. Through a diaristic approach, themes of home, the natural world and interpersonal relationships are often presented within my work.

I often draw inspiration from the ordinary and mundane, and my projects often focus on the importance of paying attention and the interconnectedness of the private and public world we live in. I find working with physical media such as photo books and zines feels the most natural to me and my work, and it often provides a space for the work to live in, so I tend to focus on creating that.

This year my interests have shifted towards working with designers to photograph editorials and lookbooks. I try to create specific visions based on the designs while still maintaining a fine art perspective. I’ve been really excited to collaborate with more people and dive more into the fashion world because I think it can offer so much creative freedom.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I think my overall goal is to be able to continue making art and eventually be able to support myself financially through it. Photography feels like it will be a part of my life forever, so being able to independently support myself based on something I care so much about and enjoy doing would be such a reward. It definitely feels rewarding now, but I am excited to reach a point in my life where I can dedicate myself fully to it and feel comfortable doing so.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the lessons that I feel like I am still unlearning is the scarcity mindset that comes with being creative. Living in New York can be so rewarding because you are surrounded by so many talented people who are creating constantly, but at the same time it makes you feel like there isn’t enough space for everyone in the creative field. For a really long time I felt like there won’t be any opportunities left for me by the time I became “good enough” and that was a really scary thought I had to overcome. I have to constantly remind myself that my vision and my work is my own and it exists outside of anyone else’s and I have a place in this field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jumanamograbi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jumana.psd/