The Story of ‘Woman, Life, Freedom!’

Abstract

I have been interested in painting and illustration since I was a little child... though I didn’t know what “illustration” exactly was, but when I leafed through my picture books, I wanted to be the person who created them... mostly, I imagined him/her illustrating. So as I grew up, I found that I could study art, and it made me so excited. I remember I couldn’t believe it... this was such a huge deal. So I entered Fine Art School in 2013 and studied painting for 3 years. One thing led to another, and I found myself in the puppet theater department at university, which was an amazing experience. I loved both – puppets and paintings so much but I always felt something was wrong. I was not satisfied with those two. So I started learning how to illustrate on digital devices, and I loved the process so much. I learned everything by myself in my tiny room, but I never got tired of it, and I found that it is my thing! I believe illustration is a kind of language created by the artist and everyone can understand it. I think this is it. This is my story... My illustrations are all about women, especially women in Iran. They are all about the sexism in Iran and the patriarchal, brutal government. After the death of Mahsa Amini, I started making illustrations about these issues. And it was not just me – so many Iranian illustra- tors were making art about her death and the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement. So, I did too. I did it in my own way, I used symbolic and iconic elements in my arts, like birds, flowers and – most of all – girls and boys together, as a collective, as a team.

I believe it’s more emotional and makes more of an impression when you show what your dream world would look like. I don’t want to draw the brutal world I was born in. I think I should draw girls and boys trying to defy the brutality with their pure hearts and hopeful hands. I draw for the people who want to live in a free Iran. I hope the readers of “Images” will enjoy my works.