Maryam Eisler was born in Iran, living and working in London. Beyond her incredible photography, Eisler is known as a patron of museums and institutions, and an avid art collector. According to the artist, this photograph was inspired by Edward Weston love for Tina Modotti. Celebrating Modotti’s legacy as a photographer as well as icon, this work imagines the female body through a female photographer’s lens. Eisler traveled to Mexico to walk in Edward Weston’s footsteps, accompanied by his family. She retraced the revolutionary, intellectually vibrant era of the 1920s when Weston and Modotti lived among figures like Pablo Neruda, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. This Mexican chapter of the project became a second phase of ‘Imagining Tina’ which honours Tina’  independence, her political and creative voice and her place in intellectual passionate circles. This photograph is not only a tribute to a great romance between art and revolution, it is a celebration of the Sublime Feminine that Eisler places at the very heart of her work.

‘Who are you?

I’m  a visual storyteller. I pour my own feelings straight onto the photographic paper, and my goal is to make you feel something real and deep. I like to think of myself as someone who uses imagery to stir sentiment and awaken a sense of poetry in people, places and memories.

What is your creative area of expertise?

I’m all about fine art photography that has a cinematic, atmospheric way of telling a story. And on top of that, I love diving into vintage romance, bringing in echoes of old-school imagery and stories, and wrapping them in a nostalgic envelope. So it’s a mix of that dreamy, historical vibe with a touch of poetry. 

How do you find inspiration?

My inspirations are deeply rooted in memory, displacement, loss, and the quiet poetry of historically charged places. The feminine sublime is a recurring theme that also shapes my artistic lens.

Tell us a little bit about the work you chose to share.

In essence, what I’m presenting is a piece deeply rooted in artistic lineage. I traveled to Mexico alongside Kim Weston to retrace the revolutionary-era journey of Edward Weston and his lover , equally accomplished photographer , Tina Modotti. This photograph is essentially my artistic interpretation of Tina in a painterly, Ophelia-like trance, capturing the kind of timeless, romantic gaze Edward might have had for her. It’s a work that intertwines historical homage with my own vision of the feminine sublime, offering a curatorial nod to that era’s artistic and intellectual fervor.

What is your work process?

My process is intuitive and immersive. I work slowly, guided by feeling, light, and instinct rather than rigid concepts. Often, it begins with a moment observed , a line read or something felt, or even a scent that captures my imagination and evolves into an obsession, all of which eventually leads to creation.

One special moment that happened to you this year?

Honestly, the big standout this year was this really organic and kind of wild ride into the American West. I took a trip with my childhood friend, photographer Alexei Riboud, and somehow that work just caught fire. art historian Carrie Scott and photography guru, Howard Greenberg,  jumped in to co-curate a book of our photos, first seen on our Instagram accounts, and it turned into this amazing journey of exhibits from New York to Paris, and soon Milan. Basically, it was this unexpected moment of putting our modern take on the West and its ever evolving narrative,  right alongside the legends who photographed it in the past.

A piece of advice?

Trust your intuition and your inner voice; don’t create by consensus. Clarity always follows honesty and truth.

What’s next?

First up, I’ve got a book of Polaroids called “Summer of ’69” that’s all about capturing this imagined, fleeting youthful, summer romance vibe set in the Hamptons. It’s going to drop right in sync with Photo London this May 2026. And before that , I’m planning to go to Tangiers in April to soak up all that borderland magic, where Europe kisses North Africa, and the spirit of the Beat generation still lingers. The Tangiers book is going to be all about diving into its layered history and culture. So, that’s the roadmap; two projects full of nostalgia and new adventures!’