REGISTER NOW

Free Event

The Iranian Studies Initiative at UCSB and Farhang Foundation present

Women, Art, Freedom

Artists and Street Politics in Iran

a free live lecture event by Dr. Pamela Karimi

Women, Art, Freedom offers an insightful look at the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising in Iran, sparked by the tragic murder of Jina Mahsa Amini at the hands of the “morality police” for violating hijab rules. Beyond its feminist undertones and the remarkable courage of the young protesters, what sets this uprising apart from previous ones is the abundant and diverse art it has inspired. This book, rather than merely analyzing the artworks that garnered attention on social media platforms, brings to light lesser-known grassroots artistic movements that played a crucial role within their immediate local communities. Engaging with primarily Iran-based artists, it uncovers their role in shaping guerrilla interventions and street occupations and in articulating distinct forms of peaceful civil disobedience. By drawing on a broad spectrum of historical and theoretical sources, this book further reveals the origins and inspirations of Iran’s protest art. Focusing mainly on the interconnections between the public sphere, women’s bodies, and feminist viewpoints, Women, Art, Freedom underscores the vital role of artists in championing global justice and equality.

 .

Purchase the book

About Dr. Pamela Karimi

Pamela Karimi is an associate professor of history of art and architecture at Cornell University. Her expertise lies primarily in the art, architecture, and visual culture of the modern and contemporary Middle East. She is the author of Domesticity and Consumer Culture in Iran: Interior Revolutions of the Modern Era (Routledge: 2013/translation: Shirazeh Press, 2021), Alternative Iran: Contemporary Art and Critical Spatial Practice (Stanford University Press: 2022), and Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran (Leuven University Press/Cornell University Press, 2024).

The subjects, views, and opinions expressed in the Farhang Foundation Lecture Series are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Farhang Foundation.