Aperture Presents Diana Markosian: Father

New York, October 29, 2024—Aperture presents Father, a new monograph by celebrated photographer Diana Markosian, available globally this November.

Father narrates Markosian’s journey of reconnection with her estranged father, expressed through a mix of documentary photographs, family snapshots, and archival material, along with Markosian’s original, diaristic writing. In a sequence that is equally lyrical and elliptical, Markosian reflects upon the dissonance between the concept of fatherhood and the reality of the father-daughter relationship that she knows.

Born in Moscow, Markosian left Russia at the age of seven with her mother and older brother, eventually relocating to California. This move across the world would solidify, and seemingly finalize, a fracturing of her family that had already taken place. Markosian’s parents had separated before she was born, and by the time they moved to the US, her father was, in many ways, already absent from her life. Once in California her mother sought to remove even the image of him from their lives by cutting his picture out of family photographs. For Markosian’s father, she and her brother became missing children whom he tried to find for years. His absence created a profound sense of mystery and confusion in Markosian as she looked for him, both literally and emotionally, in different men.

Fifteen years since she last saw him, and with no picture to remind her and no address to direct her, Markosian set out to find her father in Armenia. Father captures Markosian’s attempt to build a relationship with him over a decade – with each visit revealing new complexities about the parent she lost and how that loss, originally and over time, came to shape the person Markosian had become.

The book is also a statement on the universality of Markosian’s experience—on familial loss and attempted reconnection. As a tangible expression of that universality, Markosian includes an empty envelope in the back of each book, inviting readers to share their own stories of loss and reconnection with family members or loved ones. The letters can then be mailed to the artist to be collected and included in a future exhibition of Markosian’s work.

Father is the follow-up to Markosian’s first book, Santa Barbara (Aperture, 2020). In Santa Barbara, Markosian recreates the story of her family’s journey from post–Soviet Russia to the United States in the 1990s, using it as a point of departure to reflect upon her mother’s decision to leave the culture and history of one country behind for another.

The release of Father coincides with a traveling exhibition, debuting at the National Portrait Gallery, in London—from November 2024 to March 2025—before traveling to Foam, Amsterdam, in March 2025, then to the Rencontres d’Arles, France, in July 2025, among other additional venues to be announced. Public programs accompanying the book include artist talks and book signings, with details posted at aperture.org/events. Diana Markosian: Father is available at aperture.org/books.

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Diana Markosian (born in Moscow, 1989) is among the leaders of a new generation of photographers and lens-based artists advancing documentary storytelling through image-making. Her photographs have been published in Vanity Fair, Vogue, and the New Yorker. Her work is represented by Galerie les filles du calvaire, Paris. The artist’s acclaimed first monograph, Santa Barbara (Aperture, 2020), was selected as one of the top books of the year by Time and the Museum of Modern Art Magazine. She holds an MS from Columbia University in New York.

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Aperture’s programs and operations are made possible by the generosity of our board of trustees, our members, and other individuals, and with major support from 7G Foundation, Charina Endowment Fund, Documentary Arts, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Ishibashi Foundation, Joy of Giving Something, Anne Levy Charitable Trust, Henry Luce Foundation, Mailman Foundation, MurthyNAYAK Foundation, Grace Jones Richardson Trust, San Francisco Foundation, Thomas R. Schiff Foundation, Jane Smith Turner Foundation, Stuart B. Cooper and R. L. Besson, Kate Cordsen and Denis O’Leary, Thomas and Susan Dunn, Michael Sonnenfeldt, Jon Stryker and Slobodan Randjelovic, National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts, with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

About Aperture
Aperture is a nonprofit publisher that leads conversations around photography worldwide. From our base in New York, Aperture connects global audiences and supports artists through our acclaimed quarterly magazine, books, exhibitions, digital platforms, public programs, limited-edition prints, and awards. Established in 1952 to advance “creative thinking, significantly expressed in words and photographs,” Aperture champions photography’s vital role in nurturing curiosity and encouraging a more just, tolerant society.

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Press Contact
Lauren Van Natten, +1 212.946.7151, publicity@aperture.org