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Into the Lights, an image by Arvian Heidir, was selected for inclusion in the exhibition, In Focus: A Survey of Bay Area Photography by the East Bay Photo Collective (EBPCO), celebrating its 5th year anniversary. All subject matter and photographic media, other than work using generative AI, were welcome. Ann Jastrab, Executive Director of the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, was the juror. The exhibition features work by 50 artists in the gallery and by an additional 30 artists in the expanded online exhibition. In Focus opens on Friday, August 7; the opening reception will take place from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Oakland Photo Workshop Gallery. The exhibition runs through September 13. The closing reception will take place on Friday, September 4, from 6 pm to 8 pm.  

Arvian grew up in Indonesia between two cultural worlds – a Minangkabau mother whose lineage is matrilineal and a Javanese father shaped by a patriarchal tradition. That pull between inheritance and expectation, in gender as much as geography, continues to shape her photographs. After moving to the U.S., Arvian spent more than 25 years working in tech before turning fully to photography in 2023.