by Nava Behnam

After 23 years of living in North America, I travelled to my homeland Iran for the first time and felt inspired to document my trip. Reconnecting with my family who I hadn't seen since childhood was invigorating, as was walking the city streets of Tehran that I once called home. Plus, I got to visit the magical city of Isfahan. 

About the author

Nava Behnam is an interdisciplinary artist, performer and educator who lives in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Originally from Tehran, Iran, she migrated to North America when she was five years old. The devastating impacts of cultural assimilation and erasure in her own life have led her to embrace critical and culturally relevant pedagogy as essential for valuing and empowering all students’ voices and identities. Currently she is pursuing a Masters of Dance Education at Rutgers University and will become certified to teach dance in public schools. Nava’s creative practice includes writing, painting, composing, making films, dancing and choreographing. She also engages in liberation work through community-based counseling.