Tea bags symbolize consumerism and a fast-paced lifestyle: products prepared, consumed, and discarded within moments. In this process, we rarely consider the people and labor behind them. In this series, documentary photographs of tea farmers in Gilan are printed onto tea bags using the cyanotype process, bringing part of this hidden production chain back into view. The work seeks to create a brief pause during consumption, inviting viewers to reflect on the time, labor, and human stories embedded in an everyday object whose origins are increasingly forgotten.
Mehrdad Fathi (b. 1995) was born in Zanjan, Iran, where he continues to live and work. He holds a Master’s degree in Architecture and began his artistic practice in photography in 2013. Working primarily in conceptual and idea-driven photography, Fathi has developed a body of work shaped by his background in architecture. His projects often engage with themes related to space, the built environment, and the subtle relationship between humans and their surroundings.
