Newsha Tavakolian (born 1981) is an Iranian photographer who began working for the Iranian press aged 16, covering wars in Iraq and a range of social issues in her native Iran. Over the years, her focus shifted from journalistic photography to photography as art. Through her lens, Tavakolian explores social experiences in Iran as well as human conflicts close and near. She has photographed female guerilla fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Colombia, prohibited Iranian female singers and the lives of people living under sanctions. Tavakolian’s work has found its place within the private collections of international institutions including Victoria & Albert Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), British Museum, Sackler Gallery and Boston Museum of Fine Art. Tavakolian became a Magnum Member in 2019.