Woman, Life, Freedom, 2022

Hand weaved on a jacquard loom

23"x27" 

Through the creation of this artwork, I am able to visually portray my traumatized self and demonstrate how I dealt with the forced hijab. Being born and raised under the Islamic Republic regime, I have seen women wearing hijabs since I opened my eyes, at least in public places, and I have had to cover myself with my first signs of femininity. This project demonstrates the stark contrast between my two distinct experiences—with and without choice. The background is a well-known Iranian painting style called "Gol o Morgh," which ended up being used for the cover of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.