Daniel Malikyar: The Afghan-American artist who’s everywhere you look

It seems that there’s not a hip-hop artist out there who hasn’t been photographed by Daniel Malikyar: Drake, Lil Yachty, Tierra Whack…the Afghan-American artist’s camera has immortalised the icons of contemporary music culture. But beyond the slick allure of his commercial campaigns and celebrity portraits, Daniel’s real talent is in the unencumbered lens of his documentary photography. With extensive visual chronicles of South Sudan, India, Afghanistan, Cuba, and Brazil, the artist’s images are piercingly vivid—dynamic, animated, and searing with emotion. A photographer, filmmaker, and creative director, Daniel’s stunning body of work is as extensive as it is impactful. 

It was the multidisciplinary creative’s grandfather who inspired him to pick up a camera. “He used to visit us every year, and would send back the tapes and film he shot from the trip,” Daniel shares with Dazed MENA. “Reliving those experiences and seeing his perspective inspired me to explore documenting the world for myself.” That passion has since evolved into an illustrious career: photography campaigns for Nike, Vogue, Spotify, and Porsche, as well as cinematic commercials for Mercedes-Benz, Sony, and Adidas. He has even ventured into feature documentaries for HBO and Amazon Prime Video; no big name in the media has been left unsupplemented by Daniel’s talent. His accolades include ADDY awards, an MTV VMA nomination, and a Tribeca Film Festival selection, cementing his reputation as a force across creative disciplines. 

As a creative director, Daniel has helmed campaigns and live events for global giants like Google, PlayStation, Levi’s, and YouTube. In 2015, he was selected as the youngest official FUJIFILM X-Photographer in the world at only 20 years old. Two years later, he began shaping the visual identity of multi-platinum artist Marshmello, during which the artist’s YouTube following skyrocketed from 25,000 to 45 million. In 2017, he co-founded MGX CREATIVE, producing branded projects which garnered over five billion views, and later co-founded Santo, a fine art gallery with collectors in over 25 countries.

Despite such immense success, Daniel is rooted in humility, driven only by the simple, genuine curiosity that underpins his work: “I’m inspired by meeting new people and experiencing the different ways people live around the world,” Daniel puts simply. “Photography and film are vehicles for me to do just that.”

To his credit, such experience at only 29 reflects a career punctuated by pivotal moments; some that he recognised lucidly in real time, and others that were only processed in retrospect. “In 2018, I made my first humanitarian-focused project in India and it confirmed what I think I always knew: that I want to use my mediums to connect with people from around the world and try to make an impact with the work that gives back to those who need it,” Daniel reveals.

This immediacy and intentionality behind his passion saturates his documentary photography. Behind his camera, faces can somehow convey a prismatic spectrum of emotions; they betray layered stories and moments that feel too extraordinary to be real, like stills plucked from an animation. “Most of my work involves me embedding myself within local subcultures with the intention of showcasing the beauty and human side of the people I’m documenting,” the photographer explains. “While I’ve done so in Afghanistan, I’m excited to explore more of the Middle East and North Africa region going forward.”

The artist’s vision continues to be anchored in his heritage and experience as a first generation Afghan-American. “I want to change the perception of Afghanistan and our region at large by shining light on the humanity, culture, and beauty that has not been shown in Western media,” Daniel contends. “I want to help the next generation of photographers and filmmakers in underrepresented communities receive the tools they need to tell their own stories.”

He’s fulfilling this self-directed prophecy, with a long-term project underway in Afghanistan that’s intent on exhibiting the country’s multitudes that are often left unseen. The project is set to be released in 2025, with a coffee table book, a premium docu-series, alongside photography exhibitions in the United States, EU, and Asia. 

Daniel speaks with optimism about a transformative moment for SWANA creatives, one defined by collaboration, resilience, and the pursuit of untapped potential. “It’s a very exciting time because our generation is helping create a blueprint that most of us didn’t have for the next generation, to show them what’s possible,” the photographer posits. “For the diaspora, a lot of us were kids of immigrants struggling to assimilate and giving us the opportunity to follow our dreams. For those living in their home countries, they have had limited resources and so many obstacles compared to the West. But despite all that, it feels like this is a moment where we’re all arriving. As we start to connect and collaborate, the future is going to be really bright for MENA creatives.”