Spot the human! Bodies embedded in nature

The Guardian

05-08-2025

Photographer Azita Gandjei's book Mythoscape explores themes of transformation and self-discovery, where the journey through nature mirrors an inward journey. Each image is presented as a threshold – where body and landscape meet, inner and outer worlds dissolve and transformation becomes possible. Mythoscape: A Different World is published by Daylight Books. All photographs: Azita Gandje
Gandjei says: 'Mythoscape explores the intimate relationship between humanity and nature, abstraction and meaning, light and insight. These liminal moments draw on the metaphorical language of Persian poetry, where nature mirrors emotional and spiritual states, and on Jungian psychology, particularly Nigredo : a descent into darkness as a path toward transformation'
'A body entangled with roots illustrates the intimate, inseparable relationship between humanity and the land. Here, the human form becomes both vessel and landscape, embodying the mythic concept that we are shaped by the Earth even as we shape it. The roots ties to ancestry, memory and belonging'
'This image draws on the Persian poetic language of exile and longing. The lone tree and human under a vast sky evoke a sense of isolation and quest. The stark landscape acts as both setting and symbol for spiritual pilgrimage – a journey through wilderness toward insight'
'Two bodies nestled into stone strata echo the motif of becoming one with the land. The swirling patterns of rocks mirror the emotional and spiritual turbulence within; the human figures suggests vulnerability, protection and rebirth – an ancient theme found in both Persian poetry and archetypal narratives'
In the current era of environmental crisis and spiritual disconnection, the book suggests a quiet return to our relationship with Earth, and to the ancient stories still alive in the land around us
'Water cascading through an abalone shell combines the elemental with the organic. In mythic language, the abalone shell is a vessel for transformation – a bridge between sea and land, body and spirit'
'The geological patterns in the rock parallel the lines and wrinkles of the human body, suggesting deep time and interconnectedness'
'The abstraction of the land reflects my influences from California's photographic tradition, using landscape to symbolise inner transformation'
'This closeup of hands grasping flesh suggests the tension between body and spirit, or the struggle inherent in transformation. It's a visual metaphor for the Nigredo : the discomfort, even pain, that precedes growth'
'The stark, abstract rendering of a human back is a nod to the work of Ruth Bernhard and Minor White, using light and shadow to reveal fragility and resilience. The spine, a literal and metaphorical axis, connects the body's interior world to the external landscape, suggesting both vulnerability and endurance'
'Water's movement over skin suggests purification, fluidity and the possibility of renewal. It's a visual metaphor for emotional states – grief, longing or joy – where water becomes a symbol for the mutable self'
'This image embodies the dissolution of boundaries, the return of the self to nature, and the cyclical renewal found at the water's edge. It's a living metaphor for transformation, belonging and the ancient dialogue between humanity and Earth'
'This image of a dark tunnel with a distant point of light is a metaphor for entering the depths of the self or the unconscious, a journey into darkness as a necessary stage for transformation and emergence'