THF Galleries: Photo Haiku of Akiba & Maryam Mermey

Akiba Mermey

The Haiku Foundation honors the work of contemporary masters of the dual art of haiga: visual image wedded to haiku. This month we feature a collaboration between Akiba & Maryam Mermey.

Inspired by the beauty, mystery & interconnectedness of nature, Akiba & Maryam create photo haiku as part of their spiritual practice. Akiba is a nature photographer, tai chi teacher & expressive arts program developer. He enjoys playing the native american flute as a meditation. Maryam is a haiku poet, dancer & international expressive arts therapy presenter/teacher. She received a commendation in the 2022 Martin Lucas Award Contest. In May of 2023, one of her haiku was accepted into the anthology, To Live Here, which was created as a fundraiser to support unhoused people in the UK. She also contributed a haiku to the 2024 English~Bulgarian Anthology, Shining Wind sponsored by The British Haiku Society. Maryam & Akiba share their haiga in the Wales Haiku Journal, Cattails, and the Contemporary Haibun Online journals. They have also exhibited their work throughout Maine in the US.

Maryam Mermey