Daniel Malikyar on photographing an Afghan girl milking a yak in the Pamir Mountains
Photographer Daniel Malikyar, whose family fled Afghanistan for the US in 1979, discusses his image of a girl milking a giant yak in the Pamir Mountains. The photograph captures a daily ritual in the high-altitude region where salted yak milk is a breakfast staple and yak dung is burned for warmth. Malikyar, raised in Los Angeles, was inspired by his grandfather's documentation of everyday life. After 9/11, he sought to counter negative media portrayals of Afghanistan by highlighting its cultural beauty—food, handicrafts, art, music, and poetry—as experienced in his family home.
Key facts
- Daniel Malikyar's family migrated from Afghanistan to the US in 1979 before the Soviet invasion.
- He grew up in Los Angeles and visited his grandfather in Virginia annually.
- His grandfather's photography and interviews sparked Malikyar's interest in documenting the world.
- Malikyar was six years old when 9/11 occurred.
- He aims to counter negative headlines about Afghanistan (terrorism, war, sandstorms, guns, desperation) with images of cultural beauty.
- The photograph shows a girl milking a giant yak in the Pamir Mountains.
- In the Pamir Mountains, salted yak milk is eaten for breakfast and yak dung is used for fuel.
- Malikyar's family home in LA displayed Afghan culture through food, handicrafts, art, music, poetry, and artifacts.
Entities
Artists
- Daniel Malikyar
Locations
- United States
- Afghanistan
- Los Angeles
- Virginia
- Pamir Mountains