Born in Tehran, and raised in her hometown, Europe and the United States, Iran Issa-Khan began her journey into the art of photography in the late 1970’s in New York City under the mentorship of William Minor, Jr.

Talented, spirited and fabulous, surrounded by artists, fashion designers and other creatives, Issa-Khan immersed herself in the art world and admired the photographic works of Horst, Avedon, Guy Bordin and Francesco Scavullo - all of whom later influenced her work as a professional fashion photographer. During the 1980’s and 90’s, Issa-Khan’s career flourished as she photographed the most memorable fashion faces of the time - Paulina Porizkova, Andie MacDowell, Talisa Soto, Iman, Christy Turlington and many others who appeared on the covers of U.S., European and Latin American editions of  Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Elle and numerous other publications.

Issa-Khan’s images covered dozens of issues of Harper’s Bazaar, while her stylish eye shined through the glossy pages of many fashion magazines in editorials and advertising, gaining her worldwide acclaim. She became a favorite of celebrities, socialites, business and political figures, and fellow artists, resulting in many editorial portrait commissions – the Ferragamo family and Fendi family, Prince Egon and Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina and Reinaldo Herrera, Bill Blass, and Oscar de le Renta, among others. She photographed Paloma Picasso’s national and international advertising campaigns, which extended more than a decade, Nancy Reagan at the White House, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, President and Mrs. Pastrana in Colombia, Baron and Baroness David and Olympia de Rothschild in Paris - and artists Alejandro Obregon in Colombia, Oswaldo Guayasaminin in Ecuador and Rufino Tamayo in Mexico.

In 1999, Issa-Khan moved to Coral Gables, Florida, to be closer to family and enjoy the warm winters. Much different than the concrete jungle and fast-paced life she was accustomed to, her eye quickly focused on the serene and tropical beauty of her natural surroundings.

Inspired by this, she began photographing flowers, shells, coral and other products of nature. These images, reminiscent of the works of Georgia O‘Keeffe, Tina Modotti, Irving Penn and Robert Mapplethorpe, daringly challenge her subjects to an extraordinary intimacy through close-up confrontation. Further observation reveals formal complexity, color and texture, while her master lighting and technical skills from fashion photography clearly translate. Whether subtle, in soft, monochromatic tones, or bold and audacious, in highly saturated colors – all her photographs are captured on film and printed to large scale.

Her nature photographs have been exhibited in New York City, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Beach and Dubai – select exhibitions: Leila Heller Gallery, New York City; Staley Wise Gallery, New York City; Mission Gallery, London; A-D New York City and Miami, Art Miami, The Palm Beach Contemporary Art Fair, The Wolfsonian Museum, Miami Beach; The Kampong Gardens, Coconut Grove. Her work is a favorite among art collectors and interior designers and has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Veranda, Cultured, Luxe, Haute Living, Florida Design, Venice, Polo-The Magazine, Complot and Canvas Dubai.

IRAN ISSA-KHAN Photographs, a retrospective book of the artists’ nature photography, was published in 2011 by Whitehaus Media Group. The book’s forward was written by Issa-Khan’s longtime friend, Zaha Hadid.

The artist lives and works in Miami.