Shirin Neshat

Shirin Neshat, a 58-year-old artist and prominent in the world of art, is undoubtedly one of the most famous artists of the contemporary era of Iranian art, in such a way that his name has been mentioned in many art history textbooks in prestigious universities around the world. His fame is mostly due to his special style and a new look at a social approach, which has been greatly appreciated by the audience and critics of this profession.

Shirin Neshat was born on April 6, 1336 in the city of Qazvin and traveled to America at the age of 17 to continue his education. He then studied art at the University of California, his favorite subject. His father was a physicist and his mother was a housewife. Shirin Neshat says that her father has always been one of the fans of the western style and style of life, and slowly this interest caused her parents to become alienated from the traditions and values ​​of the east. She adds that they acquired an identity that suited their social status. Shirin spent his education in the Catholic school in Tehran; An experience he refers to as “Westernization”.

Her father has always encouraged his daughters to be independent, take risks and be seen in the world. On the one hand, the interest in the West and on the other hand (from the mother’s family) the interest and adherence to traditions caused Shirban Neshat to pay special attention to the issue of identity. He shows his different vision in his photos and videos. Shirin calls his life in the West as “self-imposed exile”.

When he returned to the country after many years, he felt many changes in the people and their culture. The changes that he said were both interesting and scary. He was not only between two cultures (two different cultures), but also felt the sense of nostalgia and the difference between people and culture in these years. Contradiction and duality are clearly evident in his works. For example, he uses completely opposite poles in his photos; Such as the confrontation between men and women, black and white, death and life.

He also uses the poems of contemporary Iranian female poets in his works, which are often written on pictures of women. One of the points that makes Nishat’s work different and beautiful is the sense of power that waves in his photos; Like hands tied together and a woman and a gun, which perhaps questions power and gender in a way. But in most of the photos, this power is tied to the staring and sometimes sad looks of women, which expresses the social position of women and their acceptance of this position.

This is how he introduces his works

My works are a review of my issues and problems as a woman, an Iranian, and an artist, and sometimes my photos and films go beyond my issues and problems and become much bigger.

Among the famous works of Shirin Neshat, we can mention the series of photos “Veils” and the collection “God’s Women”. The collection of photos of Women of God not only refers to the social status of Muslim women in their countries, but contrary to the belief of many who consider his works to be only a protest against religion, he tries to question the Western world as well. Because he believes that if a woman in the western world wears a hijab, the westerners’ view of that Muslim woman will deprive her of her freedom, and this also expresses the contradiction that exists in the western world. Neshat’s first solo exhibition was held in 1993 at Franklin Fork, New York, and since then, Shirin Neshat’s works have been exhibited in many prominent galleries around the world. He also won the Silver Lion statuette for best director at the 66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009 for the film Women Without Men. In 2014, he was chosen as one of the judges of the Berlin International Film Festival.