The Bird is Mortal

These images are part of a series of polemic visuals based on my personal experiences and theoretical research for my MDes Degree at York University. As a woman raised in Iran and an artist working under the Islamic regime's harsh censorship, I have developed a visual language to express the effects of social, cultural, and political censorship on Iranian women.

The creation process combines disparate elements to investigate the representational dilemma of Iranian women, using various visual symbols, motifs, and ornaments to give the images a cultural accent. The veil, symbolizing restriction, represents more than just physical constraint; it signifies the oppression of women forced to cover themselves. I present the veil as a death shroud, smothering feminine vitality, highlighting its role as a contested symbol of Islamic religious practice that subjugates women’s rights and desires in Iran.

This visual methodology is rooted in my artistic experiences with studio photography, drawing, and calligraphy, all digitally manipulated for the final representation. The project draws on the poems of Forugh Farrokhzad, a renowned Iranian feminist poet who boldly described women's sexual and emotional desires, transgressing traditional boundaries. Her works, censored after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, critique traditional and social beliefs and their impact on women.

I believe visual expression is crucial for promoting social awareness. This project raises questions about the condition of Iranian women, representing an intervention against longstanding censorship practices. My goal is to create mysterious and poetic artifacts that provoke thought about Iranian women's plight rather than provide solutions. The multilayered elements reflect ongoing questions about the social, cultural, traditional, and political situations impacting their personal and public lives.