Behnaz Farahi’s “Unveiling” addresses the representation of the female body through the veiling and unveiling of identity. It was created in direct response to the Mahsa Amini protests that began in September 2022 — and supplanted the work that the artist had originally intended to contribute to the Simulation Sketchbook exhibition. Produced in less than two weeks, the work channels the artist’s raw processing of the feminist uprising taking place in her country of birth. By drawing herself into the final moments of “Unveiling,” Farahi reflects on her own connection to these issues in her personal narrative, and her current position as an expat working in the West, halfway across the world. As the artist writes, “Why are there various laws controlling the bodies and lives of women? Where does the autonomy of the female body reside? While much feminist discourse is informed by a Western woman’s perspective, some of the largest-ever feminist protests are happening right now on the streets of Iran. With the Iranian uprising, ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ has become an expression of freedom and a political slogan to recognize the importance of the autonomy of the female body.”
Note: all proceeds from the sale of ‘Unveiling’ will be donated to charities supporting Women's Rights.