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FORM Magazine is pleased to share that Foam has announced Shayan Sajadian (1994, Iran) as the 20th winner of the Foam Paul Huf Award. Sajadian’s practice documents the lives of marginalised communities living in Iran including individuals struggling with addiction and poverty. Through long-term projects and close relationships with his subjects, he explores the boundaries of identity, revealing perspectives that move beyond inherited perceptions and are imbued with a profound sense of tenderness. Sajadian’s photography offers a layered and nuanced image of Iranian society at a time when contemporary media and news narratives are often reductive and one-sided. He was commended in particular for the series State of being.
© Shayan Sajadian
"There is a particular kind of honesty in photographs that do not try too hard to explain themselves. In Shayan’s work, we encounter what I would describe as a quiet visual poetry. It is not photography for the sake of capturing an image. Each frame seems to hold something beyond what is immediately visible, allowing the viewer to enter a space of intimacy, uncertainty, and reflection. Equally important is the relationship between the photographer and the people he photographs. There is a sense of trust within the images, an openness that cannot simply be achieved through technical ability. It suggests that he is not merely observing the lives of others but was somehow part of the world he was documenting." - Aïda Muluneh, Chair of the Jury, on behalf of the jury
© Shayan Sajadian
the jury report states
"Shayan's work offers us a different view of Iran, one that moves beyond the political imagery and familiar narratives through which the country is so often represented. Although the photographs explore masculinity, there is a sense of tenderness within them. A certain vulnerability exists alongside their rawness, creating a visual language that feels both intimate and authentic. The images seem to emerge from his own questions, his own experiences, and an urgency to document the world around him on his own terms. Even as we continued looking at the work of other photographers, his images remained with us. And perhaps that is the true strength of his work: it did not demand our attention, but somehow managed to stay in our memory."
Shayan Sajadian’s reaction
"Photography has always been a magical and unexpected experience for me — a way of stepping outside the safety of my own bubble and learning to see beyond it. What I find most extraordinary about the camera is its ability to reveal what had previously remained unseen, even to my own eyes.
Living and working in Iran, alongside the impact of sanctions and restrictions on communication, has always involved considerable challenges and a sense of isolation. These circumstances have not only distanced us from the rest of the world, but have also deepened the divisions between people within our own society, separating them across social, economic, cultural, and religious lines, and rendering many of them invisible. A significant part of my photographic practice has been devoted to confronting these divides and finding ways to bring people closer together by making their lives and experiences visible.
Receiving the Foam Paul Huf Award is a great honour for me, especially at a time when Iran is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Under these circumstances, having years of artistic work recognised and brought into view carries a significance that goes far beyond professional achievement."
Living and working in Iran, alongside the impact of sanctions and restrictions on communication, has always involved considerable challenges and a sense of isolation. These circumstances have not only distanced us from the rest of the world, but have also deepened the divisions between people within our own society, separating them across social, economic, cultural, and religious lines, and rendering many of them invisible. A significant part of my photographic practice has been devoted to confronting these divides and finding ways to bring people closer together by making their lives and experiences visible.
Receiving the Foam Paul Huf Award is a great honour for me, especially at a time when Iran is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Under these circumstances, having years of artistic work recognised and brought into view carries a significance that goes far beyond professional achievement."
© Shayan Sajadian
the award
Shayan Sajadian will receive a cash prize of € 20,000, a feature in the Foam Magazine and a solo exhibition at Foam in autumn 2027. As the 20th winner, Sajadian will see his name added to an impressive list of alumni. Previous winners include Myriam Boulos (2025), Hiền Hoàng (2024), Felipe Romero Beltrán (2023), Lebohang Kganye (2022), Laia Abril (2020), Eric Gyamfi (2019), Daniel Shea (2018), Romain Mader (2017), Daisuke Yokota (2016), Momo Okabe (2015), Alex Prager (2012), Pieter Hugo (2008), and Taryn Simon (2007).
about the jury
This award for talented upcoming photographers is organised annually by Foam and evaluated by an independent and renowned jury. The members of this year’s Foam Paul Huf Award are Aïda Muluneh (chair of the jury, Ethiopia), Ahmad Swaid (United Kingdom, UAE), Drew Sawyer United States), Momo Okabe (Japan) and Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo (France, Chile).
international experts
To produce an internationally representative selection, Foam invited 24 nominators from various parts of the world. Specialists and experts in the field of photography were each asked to nominate five talented mid-career photographers from their region of expertise. The award is open to upcoming photographers of all ages, working in all photographic genres: from documentary or applied photography to journalistic or independent work. The winner’s work must exhibit clear visual language and contribute significantly to today’s photographic community in both form and content.
shortlist 2026
Salih Basheer, Inuuteq Storch, Xiaoxiao Xu, Shayan Sajadian, Sabelo Mlangeni
nominators
Abdelrahiem Shadad, Amin Yousefi, Andréa Holzherr, Demet Yıldız Dinçer, Elias Redstone, Emese Mucsi, Ibi Ibrahim, Kalpesh Lathigra, Lassana Igo Diarra, Lise Li, Luis Juárez, Malcolm Dickson, Meaghan Looram, Michael Mack, Mika Kobayashi, Nadine Isabel Henrich, Nkule Mabaso, Noelle Théard, Paula Kupfer, Raquel Villarperez, Renée Mussai, Sarkar Protick, Sohee Kim and Zippora Elders
about Paul Huf
The award is inspired by the Dutch photographer Paul Huf (1924 — 2002) and his open and enthusiastic approach to new photography and upcoming talent — which is parallel to Foam’s mission. Paul Huf was known for his innovative photographic technique, and he was personally involved in the establishment of Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam in 2001.
© Shayan Sajadian
Shayan Sajadian (1994, Iran) is a self-taught photographer whose practice focuses on marginalised and overlooked communities in Iran. He studied architecture at the University of Art and Architecture of Shiraz before turning his attention primarily to photography. Sajadian’s photographic practice developed through a personal engagement with subjects surrounding addiction and social marginalization. His early work was rooted in his family history and gradually expanded through encounters with people living outside dominant social structures, including people affected by addiction, drug dealers, individuals involved in criminal activities, and others in conflict with social and legal systems. Working primarily through long-term documentary projects, Sajadian builds sustained relationships with his subjects and explores spaces and communities that are often difficult to access or rarely photographed. His approach combines documentary photography with an openness to imagination and surreal elements, allowing his images to exist between lived reality and subjective perception. His work has been exhibited at Photo London and in group exhibitions in Iran and has been featured by The Guardian, WePresent, and GQ Middle East.
The exhibition of Shayan Sajadian will be on view at Foam from autumn 2027.
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