About The Book
Wet Ground is a long-term body of work by British-Iranian artist Aria Shahrokhshahi, developed through repeated stays living and volunteering in Ukraine since 2019. Made from inside the war rather than in response to it, Shahrokhshahi’s activist approach rejects spectacle in favour of proximity, focusing on the rhythms, contradictions and fragile continuities of daily life shaped by prolonged violence and uncertainty.
Shot in stark black and white, Shahrokhshahi moves beyond the visual shorthand of war imagery to present scenes that are often inscrutable, absurd, domestic, performative or oblique. A recurring focus on youth and subculture finding ways to survive and thrive reflects the radical and improvised paths life in Ukraine takes in the present moment. Publisher’s Info
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About The Artist
Aria Shahrokhshahi (b. 1996) is a British-Iranian multi-disciplinary artist, whose practice has been shaped by a deep fascination with the intricate dynamics of diverse communities and the complexities of the human condition. With a focus on social structures and the human experience, Shahrokhshahi’s work serves as a critical exploration of the relationships and power dynamics that inform everyday life.
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Specifics
Aria Shahrokhshahi: Wet Ground (Loose Joints, 2026) | With a poem by Charlotte Schevchenko-Knight | Designed by Loose Joints Studio | Edited by Sarah Chaplin Espenon | 305 x 280 mm | 144 pages, 70 tritone plates | Section-sewn debossed landscape hardcover with tip-on. Link.
