PROJECTS

NINE x FIRE

NINE x FIRE is the culmination of an 18-year exploration of fire’s transformative power. Through 81 vivid, abstract photographs, the series captures the elusive essence of fire --- light and heat produced as a source is consumed and transformed, symbolizing metamorphosis across cultures worldwide. The ritualistic nature of the process was as attempt to channel an instinctual engagement with flames through the photographs. After purchasing a condemned building—a gang headquarters in one of California’s most neglected and violent neighborhoods—Shahabodinn captured over 9,000 photographs in 27 sessions during 81 days in 2016, while living onsite during the demolition and subsequent reconstruction, which took an additional nine months. The goal was to effectively capture fire as it burns away to clear the path for transformation, renewal, and transcendence. Apart from a camera and lens, all materials used for the project were sourced from the building or brought specifically for reconstruction. There was no lighting and minimal staging, and the photographs remain uncropped, with editing limited to dust and noise reduction and lens and color correction. The constant recurrence of the number 9, symbolizing the end of the cycle, guided the structure and completion of the project, released on 09/27/2025, nine years later. By coincidence, before publication, a fire—accidentally started—destroyed the building, which was demolished and sold to be rebuilt. The next cycle begins.