An Iranian-born artist studying photography in Kansas is in Homer this month as a visiting scholar hosted by Bunnell Street Arts Gallery.

Maryam Ghasempour Siahgaldeh, who is pursuing a Master of Arts in photography at Kansas State University, provided a workshop at the Kachemak Bay Campus in monotype printmaking last week and will offer another next Saturday.

To make a monotype, the artist applies paint or ink directly onto a plate. The plate is pressed against paper to transfer the ink and create a print. The finished print is a mirror image of what’s on the plate, so the inclusion of script means the words need to be expressed in reverse on the plate. The printing can be done with a printing press or by hand.

Students in last Saturday’s class had the opportunity to experiment with oil and watercolor paints, handmade stencils and print with other fabric such as nets, string, coins or whatever they chose to imagine.

“The interesting thing about monotype is that none of the prints are going to be repetitive. They all turn out differently due to the process,” Siahgaldeh said.

The final product all depends on content of the ink, rollers and print method. Next Saturday’s class will be in relief printmaking with the use of a self-created linoleum carving. The carving design will be able to use to transfer to paper or fabric to create a print. More information on the courses is available on the Bunnell website at www.bunnellarts.org.

Before Kansas, Siahgaldeh spent a year at Iowa State University. She received a bachelor’s degree from Shariaty Technical College in Tehran approximately 10 years ago. Her biography on the Bunnell website notes that post-BA, Siahgaldeh taught at Sheykhfazloola Noori high school and Pelk Photography Institute in Iran. She said the gap in her studies between bachelor’s to master’s is also due to the need to learn the English language and pass academic language competency exams.

Siahgaldeh’s first language is Persian and she said that she has many opportunities to express herself in that language with other students at the University of Kansas. “The community there is larger than you might expect.”

Siahgaldeh said it has been her dream since childhood to experience academic studies in developed countries.

“I knew I wanted to go abroad to experience outside of my boundaries.”

She also applied for arts programs in Canada, Norway and Italy but waited to hear from schools in the United States because that was her first choice.

“That was my priority and I just waited to see what happened here before I made a B or C plan,” she said. “I decided to come to another country because of freedom of speech for artists. It’s important to be realistic and I really do love documentary photography and I didn’t want constraints because of my art.”

Siahgaldeh said she has been interested in art since childhood but also considered going to music school. However, in order for acceptance to a music school students had to show competency in two instruments and she did not have qualifications to do that.

Siahgaldeh is originally from Lahijan, Iran, in the Gilan province. She describes the location as a small city near the Caspian Sea. The 2016 World Census measured the population of the city as 101,073 people.

On the Society for Photographic Education website she explains in an artist profile that she started with documentary photography, “capturing raw, authentic moments to tell stories of struggle and resilience.”

“Street photography became an extension of this passion, allowing me to explore the vibrant connection between people and their environments. Nature photography has always been a source of peace and inspiration for me, while abstract photography enables me to express emotions through light, shapes, and textures. My work in photojournalism has allowed me to document powerful stories, combining artistic vision with a sense of purpose.”

Siahgaldeh expressed in conversation with the Homer News that she loves the opportunity to photograph women in occupation, or work photography, people displaying the anthropology of labor in various forms.

“I do love documentary photography and street photography, but for my study, I often use my own self-portrait to create.”

Many of the images she uses now, in addition to her silhouette, are nature backgrounds from her hometown in Iran. She also often uses an image of the sparrow, “a signal of freedom,” she said. “They give us our own wings.”

She said she’s excited to find other birds in the Homer area to use in her work, noting specifically eagle, raven and seagull sighting opportunities.

Siahgaldeh said she came to Homer over the winter break because she didn’t want to waste academic time and thought it would be a good place to visit. “I was so lucky to find this place and find mountains to photograph,” she said. “I hope my family can come visit some time, too.”

On Tuesday, Siahgaldeh was notified by the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that one of her submissions to a national juried art competition was selected to be featured. There were 124 pieces submitted by artists nationwide and 40 artists were selected. The juried art show, “Positive/Negative,”will be exhibited starting Feb. 17.

Emilie Springer/Homer News Maryam Ghasempour Siahgaldeh creates prints in the art studio at Kachemak Bay Campus during her January residency with Bunnell Street Arts Center.