As a photographer, I've spent a lot of time in kitchens. In Afghanistan and the Middle East, kitchens are always a great space to have uninterrupted access to the women of a household without the supervision of men. It's fun to shoot in kitchens because the feast of action, fire, and steam makes beautiful photographs. I've shot in all kinds of kitchens—kitchens set up in showers, on balconies, inside tents, in backyards, in mountains, and even a carwash. I learned that kitchens aren't defined by the typical physical elements that we're used to, but rather by the actions and interactions going on inside them.
Kitchens are also a core part of my personal life. They are where I combine creativity, science, and mindfulness. Those who know me in person also know of my love for bringing people together over food. Over the years, I've hosted people from all walks of life around dinner tables and sufras, while cooking in makeshift kitchens where I get to be a nerdy artist and improvise a dish with very few ingredients available. The truth is, there's a Persian mama that lives within me that loves feeding people. There's so much joy and pleasure in watching your guests make connections, have hearty debates, solve the world's problems (which gets easier with every bottle of wine), and build friendships—all around a dinner table you set.
I am stoked to announce that I'm opening up my kitchen to a broader community. Over the next few months, in collaboration with
@artijaan.co and local spaces, we're setting up pop-up events around
#Europe to bring storytellers, dreamers, debaters, and lovers together around a dinner table. Every event will have two very special guests who will share their stories. Our first two pop-up dinners are scheduled for mid-December in
#London , and they're both centered around
#Afghanistan (details will follow). I will serve a selection of homemade hearty dishes inspired by Afghan cuisine—a four-course vegetarian menu perfect for a winter evening. Wine will be served. All the money raised from our upcoming events will go back to Afghanistan to support artisans and women’s networks through Artijaan.
New beginnings.
#london #england #supperclub