Masoud Alipourian
Calgary, Alberta
ARTIST BIO
Masoud Alipourian (he/him) is a Tehran-born photographer with over 16 years of experience capturing the complex relationship between humanity and nature. Since relocating to Calgary in 2021, his work has continued to explore the ways in which human activity shapes and disrupts natural environments. His unique perspective is informed by years of self-education and training under contemporary Iranian photographers, which have deepened his ability to convey the profound connections between people and the natural world.
In 2024, Masoud was recognized as a Magenta Foundation Emerging Photographer at the Exposure Photo Festival, highlighting his dedication to environmental and social themes through the lens of photography. His work invites viewers to step back and reconsider the everyday landscapes they may take for granted, revealing both the beauty and fragility of the world around us.
PROJECT STATEMENT
"Unseen Horizon"
In this series of aerial photographs, I explore the immense and irreversible effects of human activity on nature. Captured from bird’s-eye view, these images provide a perspective that humans on the ground often cannot grasp. This elevated vantage point, almost as if seen from the eyes of a higher power, reveals the stark reality of global warming, deforestation, and the transformation of natural landscapes into industrial lands and farmlands.
These photos create a sense of defamiliarization with what we are used to seeing, causing a shock. They seem familiar at first glance but are, in fact, strange and unsettling. This contrast between the familiar and the alien forces us to reconsider what we see every day.
Through this work, I aim to highlight the growing separation between humanity and the natural world. On the ground, we are often too close to the problem—unable to fully understand the damage being done. We manipulate the earth, consume its resources, and reshape its form, but we fail to see the bigger picture. From above, the scale of destruction becomes undeniable: lush jungles turned into barren fields, ecosystems replaced by concrete and machinery.
These images ask us to reflect on our role in this transformation. While we may feel powerful in our ability to reshape the earth, are ultimately losing our connection to the very nature that sustains us. The consequences are clear from above yet remain hidden to those of us caught in the everyday activities of life on the ground.
