Elizabeth Guyon Spennato is part French, part Maltese with origins in Ischia, Italy. She studied at the University of Taiwan, lived in Rome and Paris and became a sworn interpreter in Chinese, Italian and French. She has lived in Beijing where she was an actress and a lyrics/poem writer in Chinese. In 2003, she was involved in a serious road accident following which she dedicated herself to studying Persian during her long recovery. Elizabeth has published three books in France, however photography is a new source of inspiration. Supported by the Banque Populaire Foundation, she published Regards Persans in December 2018 (a bilingual book of poems and photography in Persian and French). Since then, this exhibition has been on tour. Her poems written in Mandarin or in Italian are published in anthologies or in poetry magazines. In 2024, two book collections of her poems are published in Taiwan and in Italy.
New books:
- 2024 : "Fantasia 'e ll'isola", Bertoni editore, Italy
- 2024 : « 臉上的太陽 », 秀威出版, Taiwan
- 2023 : « Des fleurs pour Alcide - Alcide d’Orbigny », (éds Esperluète)
- novembre 2022 : "真心 - Coeur pur", poésie taïwanais-français, Papiers Coupés, papiers.coupé[email protected]
- 2019 : "The dream life of Little Paul", Faraxa Publishing, Malte. Un livre pour enfants
- 2019 : "La langue du Sud - 南方的语言", poésie chinois-français, Papiers Coupés, papiers.coupé[email protected]
- 2018 : 'Regards Persans, l'âme d'une génération' ("Persian Eyes, the soul of a generation"), Orients Éditions, France. A collection of her photography; and poems translated by the author.
'Persian Eyes' Photography by Elizabeth Guyon Spennato
I began working on Persian Eyes after years of rehabilitation, following a serious accident, where I also took up Persian. Following eye surgery, it occurred to me that photography was probably THE best medium for expressing what it is, about Iran that continues to inspire me.
My wish was not only to capture the sheer depth and beauty of Persian eyes but also and more importantly, to peer into and unveil the Iranian soul. I felt it important to let the people of Iran show something of themselves, at times so different to what is portrayed in the Media.
During eight long stays in Iran spanning 2012 - 2017, I took pictures of eyes that belong to the so called “Burnt Generation” – people born between 1966 – 1990, who experienced the effects of the 1979 Revolution, followed by the Iran/Iraq War.
My photographs combine with poems which lend each image a powerful eloquence. The poetry is broad in scope drawing from poets ancient and contemporary - some well-known, others unknown in the West, male and female - all representative of the eternal and enduring nature of the Iranian poetic spirit.
‘Splendid eyes, spotless souls’
Liu Bolin (The Invisible Man), Chinese photographer, about Persian Eyes
New books:
- 2024 : "Fantasia 'e ll'isola", Bertoni editore, Italy
- 2024 : « 臉上的太陽 », 秀威出版, Taiwan
- 2023 : « Des fleurs pour Alcide - Alcide d’Orbigny », (éds Esperluète)
- novembre 2022 : "真心 - Coeur pur", poésie taïwanais-français, Papiers Coupés, papiers.coupé[email protected]
- 2019 : "The dream life of Little Paul", Faraxa Publishing, Malte. Un livre pour enfants
- 2019 : "La langue du Sud - 南方的语言", poésie chinois-français, Papiers Coupés, papiers.coupé[email protected]
- 2018 : 'Regards Persans, l'âme d'une génération' ("Persian Eyes, the soul of a generation"), Orients Éditions, France. A collection of her photography; and poems translated by the author.
'Persian Eyes' Photography by Elizabeth Guyon Spennato
I began working on Persian Eyes after years of rehabilitation, following a serious accident, where I also took up Persian. Following eye surgery, it occurred to me that photography was probably THE best medium for expressing what it is, about Iran that continues to inspire me.
My wish was not only to capture the sheer depth and beauty of Persian eyes but also and more importantly, to peer into and unveil the Iranian soul. I felt it important to let the people of Iran show something of themselves, at times so different to what is portrayed in the Media.
During eight long stays in Iran spanning 2012 - 2017, I took pictures of eyes that belong to the so called “Burnt Generation” – people born between 1966 – 1990, who experienced the effects of the 1979 Revolution, followed by the Iran/Iraq War.
My photographs combine with poems which lend each image a powerful eloquence. The poetry is broad in scope drawing from poets ancient and contemporary - some well-known, others unknown in the West, male and female - all representative of the eternal and enduring nature of the Iranian poetic spirit.
‘Splendid eyes, spotless souls’
Liu Bolin (The Invisible Man), Chinese photographer, about Persian Eyes
