Newsha Tavakolian is a photographer. She began working as a photojournalist at the age of 16, covering wars, conflicts and natural disasters and also concentrated on a range of social issues in her native Iran. Over the years, her focus shifted away from journalistic photography to photography as art. Through her lens, Tavakolian explores social experiences in her homeland and human conflicts close and near. Tavakolian has photographed female guerilla fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Colombia, prohibited Iranian female singers and the lives of people living under sanctions.

Tavakolian was the fifth laureate of the 2014 Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award and the Principal Laureate of the 2015 Prince Claus Award.

Amongst others, Tavakolian's work has found its place within the private collections of international institutions, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the British Museum, Sackler Gallery and the Boston Museum of Fine Art.

Tavakolian became a Magnum Member in 2019.