Joshgun Suleymanov: Photo Fragments of Displaced Realities

JOSHGUN SULEYMANOV

Photo Fragments of Displaced Realities

“Photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

– Elliott Erwitt

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Joshgun Suleymanov (b. 1987, Baku, Azerbaijan) is an independent visual artist, fine art photographer, and experimental filmmaker. His practice is rooted in cinematic storytelling and existential inquiry, exploring the hidden psychological landscapes beneath everyday reality. Rather than relying on digital manipulation, post-processing, or artificial intelligence, Suleymanov creates his imagery entirely in-camera, using self-developed optical configurations, unconventional materials, and direct manipulation of the photographic process. His work explores human resilience, ecological isolation, memory, and the fragile boundary between physical reality and perception. His conceptual projects have been presented and published by international magazines, galleries, and art platforms across France, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and beyond.

Ana:

Your work seems deeply informed by both cinema and philosophy. How do these two disciplines shape the way you look at the world, construct an image, and tell a story through photography?

J.Suleymanov:

Since childhood, my dream was to become a film director, though I initially had no formal roadmap on how to achieve it. I began by capturing everything around me with an old Nokia phone. As I moved into street photography, I approached scenes like a filmmaker—setting up a mental “stage” and patiently waiting for real-life actors to step into the frame. Over time, I realized that shooting without a clear concept lacked depth. I turned to literature, immersing myself in classic novels and philosophical works, attempting to merge those ideas with my own perspective. Through this process, my worldview evolved: I stopped merely documenting life and began observing like a writer or director constructing a narrative. Before I even take a photograph, I observe the quiet struggles around us—a leaf fighting the wind, an ant enduring dangers to carry a grain of wheat, or a person enduring years in a soul-crushing job, wearing a brightly colored tie that functions like a subtle noose. I build these psychological portraits in my mind and wander the streets until I locate the exact subject that embodies these existential truths.

Ana:

There is often a sense of instability, estrangement, or distortion in your images, as though reality itself has been subtly displaced. Do you believe the world is inherently distorted, or is photography revealing something that normally remains hidden beneath the surface?

J.Suleymanov:

Distortion in an image can easily be achieved through technical means—lowering the shutter speed or introducing camera movement. But for me, the technique itself is not the mystery. The true objective is to mask the original object and recreate an entirely new entity from it. I frequently work with discarded objects, trash bags, billboards on the street, or mannequins in shop windows to construct something otherworldly. When viewers look at my work, they might see an alien or an unrecognizable entity, unaware that it was originally a simple store mannequin. My goal is not to perform visual tricks, but to displace reality so deeply that it provokes unsettling questions about what is real and what is concealed beneath the surface.

Ana:

Your practice feels like a continuous journey of searching and wandering. What do you think you are ultimately searching for through photography? Is it a particular state of mind, an emotion, a memory, a form of beauty, or perhaps something that cannot be clearly named?

J.Suleymanov:

My wandering is fundamentally an act of observation and translation. I am searching for the emotional and psychological architecture behind everyday human endurance. When I walk through the city, I am looking for physical embodiments of inner states—translating the heavy, unspoken burdens of existence into visual archetypes. Ultimately, I am searching for a non-verbal language that strips away the ordinary facade of the world and exposes the hidden tension, fear, and silent resilience inside us all.

Ana:

In series such as Plastic Prison and Healing in the Dirty Lake, nature appears both wounded and strangely resilient. Do you see these works as reflections of an ecological crisis, or as something more existential — perhaps images of a world undergoing a profound transformation and moving toward its own end?

J.Suleymanov:

In Plastic Prison, I address how modern humanity has turned increasingly predatory toward its own habitat. We consciously throw away plastic and waste, fully aware that we are destroying the very air and nature that sustain us. By depicting figures trapped inside plastic forms—resembling marine life suffocating in contaminated waters—I wanted to project that exact suffering back onto humanity. Nature is not inherently all-powerful; it is forced to project strength merely to survive our destruction. For me, these series are both an ecological alarm and an existential mirror: a reflection of a world moving toward its own end because human beings have alienated themselves from the natural environment.

Ana:

The Beshbarmag project has, for me, an almost painterly quality. Some of its tormented, visceral figures and forms recall the paintings of Chaim Soutine, while remaining unmistakably photographic. What drew you to this landscape and its people, and how did you develop the visual language of this project?

J.Suleymanov:

The Beshbarmag mountain in Khizi, Azerbaijan, holds deep spiritual significance, home to the sacred shrine of Khidr Zinda where people go to make vows and perform sacrifices. To the naked eye, the terrain holds rock formations that resemble shipwrecks or ancient human sculptures. What drew me to this landscape was its heavy atmospheric tension. Using my specialized in-camera techniques, I aimed to extract the raw, hidden psychological state of the place—unearthing the inner fear, devotion, and visceral emotion embedded in the location without relying on digital post-processing.

Ana:

One Day in Sabunchu seems to move between personal cultural heritage, everyday life, markets, and people living on the margins of society. How personal is this project for you, and what did you discover about your own cultural identity through photographing this particular place?

J.Suleymanov:

One Day in Sabunchu is deeply personal to me. I have always had a deep affection for vintage objects, and this flea market is a universe where you can find almost anything—in fact, I bought two of my own cameras there for a nominal price. Beyond the objects, there is an incredible warmth, honesty, and intimacy among the people there. It reminds me that happiness isn’t tied to grand material wealth. In a world where buying new toys can be out of reach for many, seeing a child made genuinely happy by a second-hand toy bought from a flea market is profound. Documenting Sabunchu allowed me to reconnect with a raw, unpretentious layer of my cultural identity—one built on resilience, human warmth, and finding dignity on the margins of society.

Ana:

In Behind What Is Unseen, there is a strong feeling of psychological tension, as though the images are revealing something just beyond visibility. Is this series connected to your own inner struggles or experiences, and would you describe its visual language as part of what you call your “dream technique”?

J.Suleymanov:

This series occupies a vital place in my practice; works from it have been published in France’s TK-21 La Revue, featured in Fotografka Magazine, and exhibited at the Barış Manço Cultural Center in Istanbul. Conceptually grounded in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the project explores how what we perceive as reality is often merely a shadow or illusion. Using in-camera visual transformations, everyday elements—passengers inside a bus, shop mannequins, street billboards, trees—are morphed into entirely foreign entities. It reflects my own psychological exploration of reality versus illusion, utilizing an optical approach that translates awake reality into a dreamlike, unsettling state.

Ana:

In The Citadin, the city becomes more than a backdrop; it seems almost like a psychological landscape inhabited by isolated
figures and fleeting encounters. What, for you, is the essence of the urban experience, and what does the street reveal about contemporary human existence?

J.Suleymanov:

In The Citadin, I wanted to reveal how modern urban dwellers have retreated behind metaphorical masks and screens. While cities are decorated with bright lights and vibrant colors, the people walking the streets rarely reflect that vitality—their authentic brightness exists mostly as a curated pose on social media. In physical reality, individuals isolate themselves inside psychological boxes to escape true connection. The street reveals the profound paradox of contemporary human existence: we live packed tightly together in glowing metropolises, yet we remain deeply isolated and disconnected from one another.

Ana:

Your photographs often find beauty in places, bodies, and situations that might initially appear disturbing, damaged, or
uncomfortable. How important is this tension between beauty and discomfort to your practice? Are you trying to make the viewer reconsider what they understand as beautiful?

J.Suleymanov:

To me, beauty is not defined by superficial aesthetics, pristine clothing, or polished bodies. True beauty lies in a critical mind, an inquiring intellect, a broad worldview, and an individual who refuses to be enslaved by material wealth. Society often fixates on artificial physical perfection while remaining completely blind to the existential uncertainties of the future. By creating a tension between visual discomfort and underlying beauty, I challenge the viewer to abandon shallow definitions of aesthetics and question what truly holds value.

Ana:

Looking across your different bodies of work, what would you say is your fundamental credo as a photographer? What do you hope photography can achieve — for you personally, for the people you photograph, and ultimately for the viewer?

J.Suleymanov:

My ultimate ambition is to leave a meaningful legacy—to have my works preserved in books and displayed in galleries a century from now, continuing to provoke thought and inquiry. If human beings fail to question the world around them, they become trapped in invisible chains. My fundamental credo as a photographer is to break those subtle chains and shatter unseen shackles, encouraging viewers to look beyond the surface, challenge their perceptions, and step toward genuine intellectual and spiritual freedom.

More about the Joshgun Suleymanov:

Official website: https://joshgunsuleymanov.art

Instagram: @joshgunsuleymanov.art