An aerial view of the vast desert in Sirjan, Kerman, Iran, in 2026, where the Stone Garden appears as a small, isolated patch, illustrating the catastrophic encroachment of desertification and the legacy of drought. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

Stone and Mourning: The Legacy of Drought

Sirjan, Kerman, Iran/2026/Environment / Documentary

A silent protest against drought and water mismanagement, Stone and Mourning follows the transformation of a once-flourishing garden into a landscape of dead trees and suspended stones. From intimate details of decay to aerial views of the desert, the series traces the human and environmental cost of a disappearing water supply.

A close-up reveals rusted wires embedded in a dry tree trunk, illustrating the method Darvish Khan, a deaf farmer, used to attach stones to his withered trees in Sirjan, Kerman, Iran in 2026. This scene, titled 'The Scar', depicts the profound impact of drought. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

The Scar

Close-up of wire and wood connection. Rusted wires are embedded into the dry tree trunk. This image details the ‎method used by Darvish Khan (a deaf farmer) to attach stones to his withered trees.‎

A stone suspended from a tree branch in Sirjan, Kerman, Iran, 2026, hung by Darvish Khan as a symbol of protest after his garden dried up due to drought. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

The Burden

A stone suspended in the sky. After his garden dried up due to drought, Darvish Khan drilled holes in stones and hung ‎them from branches to replace the lost fruit. This stone serves as a symbol of his protest.‎

A withered, dead tree, laden with multiple stones, stands upright in Sirjan, Kerman, Iran, in 2026, a poignant symbol of the region's years of water scarcity and the enduring legacy of drought. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

The Victim

A withered tree standing upright. A single dead tree bearing the weight of multiple stones. This image illustrates the ‎unnatural state of a tree that has been dead for years due to water scarcity but remains standing.‎

A dense cluster of dry, stone trees stands together in a garden constructed by one man over several decades, in Sirjan, Kerman, Iran, in 2026. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

The Group‎

Density of the stone trees. A view showing a cluster of dry trees standing together. This image illustrates the scale of the ‎garden, which was constructed by one man over the course of several decades.‎

In Sirjan, Kerman, Iran, in 2026, a mother walks with her child among stone trees in an arid, stony garden, showing the new generation encountering a drought-stricken environment. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

The Witness

Visitors in the garden. A mother walks with her child among the stone trees. This image depicts the new generation ‎encountering an environment that has become completely arid and stony.‎

A wide, black and white view of the arid, dry desert landscape in Sirjan, Kerman, Iran, in 2026, showing long shadows cast by dead trees on soil no longer capable of supporting growth. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

The Context

Wide view of the arid ground. This perspective reveals the dry, desert landscape of the Sirjan region. Long shadows cast ‎by the dead trees fall upon soil that is no longer capable of supporting growth.‎

An aerial black and white photograph from 2026 shows Darvish Khan's simple grave, located directly beside the trees he created in Sirjan, Kerman, Iran. He had requested to be buried next to his life's work. Photograph by Mohammad Ataei.

The Legacy

Darvish Khan’s grave. An aerial view showing the simple tomb of the garden's creator located directly beside his trees. ‎He requested to be buried next to the work he created.‎

The Catastrophe

Aerial view of the entire region. The Stone Garden appears as a small, isolated patch within the vast desert. This final ‎image clearly demonstrates the isolation of the garden and the encroachment of desertification in the area.‎

Narrative Statement

## Stone and Mourning: The Legacy of Drought In the Sirjan desert, I encountered the silent protest of Darvish Khan Esfandiarpour, a farmer whose qanat dried up and whose garden eventually died. Rather than surrendering to the loss, he drilled holes into stones and hung them from the branches of his dead trees, replacing the fruit that could no longer grow. What began as an extraordinary visual gesture became, for me, a deeper story about drought, water mismanagement, loss, and the relationship between people and a disappearing landscape. I approached the series inductively, moving from detail to the larger picture. The camera first examines the smallest traces of suffering: rusted wires embedded in withered wood, the weight of stones, and the scars left by years of exposure. Gradually, the frame expands to reveal the dead trees, the garden, and visitors moving through the remains. The final aerial views place the garden within the vast desert surrounding it. What initially appears to be an isolated and almost surreal landscape becomes a testimony to a much larger environmental crisis. The decision to work in high-contrast black and white was deliberate. By removing color, I wanted to emphasize form, texture, weight, and the stark atmosphere of the place. Influenced by Land Art and social documentary photography, the project is rooted in my field observations of the effects of drought and environmental change in Iran. Through this journey—from a small wound in a piece of wood to an entire garden and finally to the surrounding desert—I want the viewer to consider what remains when water disappears, and what kind of landscape we may leave behind for those who come after us.

— Mohammad Ataei

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Series 01