Arghavan Khosravi Iranian, b. 1984

A clear statement of rebellion and cultural revolution, this multidimensional painting by Arhgavan Khosravi speaks to the unraveling of centuries of oppression against women in Iran. The Iranian woman in the painting confidently prepares to sever herself from her traditional hair, placing her locks into the mouth of a guillotine—the classic symbol of uprising against the privileges class. Behind her is a garden scene, reminiscent of the gardens in ancient Persian miniature paintings, which have for centuries used a flattened visual language and gender biased storytelling to transmit cultural values that support the subjugation of women. In this image, however, the garden is claiming a multi-dimensional presence, blooming and verdant, welcoming a diversity of forms. Born in Iran shortly after its 1979 Revolution, Khosravi was raised in a contradictory culture where one repressive regime—an ancient monarchy—was overthrown and replaced by an even more repressive theocracy. Despite public adherence to the authoritarian political culture, many Iranians are looser and freer in their habits and beliefs when in private. Khosravi’s studio practice mobilizes visual art as a vehicle for cultural transformation. Her recent works investigate the aesthetics of ancient Persian miniature paintings, which were originally used to illustrate folkloric texts. The landscapes of Persian miniatures are flattened, eliminating any sense of depth or perspective. Typically, the only women they portray have a subservient or secondary role, lacking agency and social significance. Khosravi’s paintings take a conscious look at how the value system transmitted by that iconography continues to shape Iranian gender politics today. This painting expresses the latest cultural shift with which Khosravi and all Iranians are grappling, as they push back against the autocracy to demand a more equitable society.