There is life out there

Since 2009, I have been continuously collaborating with a group of artists and educators under the supervision of Dr. Shahrzad Mojab to collect and preserve the memoirs of women political prisoners. My work in this area spans a variety of projects, each aimed at bringing these powerful stories to life through original visual storytelling.
One of my most rewarding experiences as an artist has been my collaboration with Dr. Shekoufeh Saki. Her deeply moving stories and poems inspired me to create a digital book, There is Life Out There, which visualizes the challenging experiences of her prison life and her relentless fight to maintain hope in every situation. This project emerged from numerous discussions between Shekoufeh and me, ensuring that my artwork faithfully captured the essence of her narrative.
In crafting this visual story, I chose to work with paper and pen—a medium that resonates with the reality of many political prisoners, who often have only these basic materials for artistic expression. The project was presented at a successful conference at the University of Toronto, and the presentation is available to watch here.