Shahabodinn Releases NINE x FIRE, an 18-Year Photographic Exploration of Fire, Transformation and Renewal

Artist Shahabodinn today released NINE x FIRE, an abstract photography book that represents the culmination of an 18-year journey uniting fine art.

LONG BEACH, CA, UNITED STATES, September 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Artist Shahabodinn today released NINE x FIRE, an abstract photography book that represents the culmination of an 18-year journey uniting fine art, ritual and philosophy. Featuring 81 vivid photographs in nine sections, the collection serves as both an exhibition catalog and a chronicle of transformation, created at the intersection of art, philosophy and cultural symbolism.

NINE x FIRE: Transformation Through Fire

NINE x FIRE captures fire in its most ephemeral state — light and heat at the moment of consumption — as both a destructive and renewing force. The work builds on nine years of experimentation that began in 2007, which led Shahabodinn to develop a distinct photographic method to capture the volatility and transformation of fire. By 2016, he had refined a technique specifically for NINE x FIRE, one that often contrasted with the traditional landscape photography approaches he had studied for decades.

After purchasing a condemned building — a gang headquarters in one of California’s most neglected and violent neighborhoods, where public services often refused to intervene — Shahabodinn took more than 9,000 photographs in 27 sessions over 81 days in 2016. He lived onsite during the demolition and subsequent nine-month reconstruction. Working solely with materials sourced from the site or brought specifically for reconstruction, and using no artificial lighting and minimal staging, he created a visceral body of work that channels the ritualistic and instinctual act of burning away to make way for renewal. Preserving the raw, documentary approach rarely seen in contemporary photography, the images are presented uncropped with only minimal editing.

NINE x FIRE reflects not only the physical process of demolition and burning but also the deeper symbolism of fire across cultures, where it represents purification, transformation and renewal.

NINE x FIRE: Threshold of New Beginnings

The recurrence of the number nine throughout the project — from the 9,000 exposures to the 81 photographs to the significant dates tied to its creation — became a central force in shaping the work’s ultimate structure. In numerology, nine signifies the end of a cycle and the threshold of new beginnings.

In a striking act of synchronicity, an accidental fire destroyed the building before publication. It was later demolished and sold to a construction company for redevelopment, closing one cycle and opening another.

With its fusion of fine art photography with a focus on abstraction, ancient fire symbolism and metaphysical numerology, NINE x FIRE captures transformation through fire and resonates with collectors and the broader art world. It is a catalog of destruction and rebirth, shadow and light, an invocation of sacred fire and a meditation on what lies beyond endings.

Publication Details

NINE x FIRE by Shahabodinn
Hardback, 202 pages | 81 color plates
ISBN: 979-8-9931547-1-8
LCCN: 2025919924
Published by Art Vortex | Release date: Sept. 27, 2025

For review copies, exhibition information or interviews,

contact: Art Vortex
Email: artvortexgroup@gmail.com | Phone: (562) 888-3006
Website: www.Shahabodinn.com

About Shahabodinn

Born in Iran, Shahabodinn has spent more than four decades exploring photography, poetry and music as expressions of transformation. His practice, rooted in early darkroom study, remained largely private until NINE x FIRE, his first public release.

About Art Vortex

Art Vortex is a media publisher dedicated to abstract art, poetry and music that inspires and connects audiences worldwide.

###

Dr. Soto
Shahabodinn
+1 (562) 888-3006
artvortexgroup@gmail.com
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
X
Other

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.