US, COFFEE

Us Coffee was photographed between 2017 and 2019, during a period when cafés in Iran were gradually changing alongside the country's social transformations.

Once associated with writers, intellectuals, and political conversations, cafés have evolved into spaces that accommodate everyday life. Today, they function as temporary workplaces, meeting points, shelters from the city's rhythm, and places where solitude can exist in public. People come not only to meet others, but also to read, work, wait, think, or simply spend time with themselves.

Rather than documenting cafés as architectural or social spaces, this series observes the quiet relationship between individuals and the environments they temporarily inhabit. Although surrounded by others, many of the people in these photographs appear immersed in their own thoughts, creating intimate moments within shared public spaces.

Us Coffee explores this paradox of contemporary urban life: the experience of being together while remaining alone.