Jina Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands of Iran’s Morality Police on 16 September 2022 sparked widespread protests across the country. Women took to the streets, uncovering their hair, burning headscarves and chanting ‘Woman Life Freedom’ – ‘Zan Zendegi Azadi’ in Persian and ‘Jin, Jîyan, Azadî’ in Kurdish – in mass demonstrations. An explosion of creative resistance followed as art and photography shared online went viral and people around the world saw what was really going on in the country.
Woman Life Freedom, edited by Malu Halasa, captures this historic moment by bringing together creative responses from 50+ visionary writers and artists. Following a short documentary offering context to the women’s protests, you will hear from these artists, witness their work and immerse yourself in a curated exhibition accompanied by a DJ set.
The night marks a pivotal anniversary in the history of women’s rights and the right to protest. It is a universal rallying call and a celebration of the women the regime has tried and failed to silence.
Artists in attendance:
Fari Bradley is an artist and activist for the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Born in Iran, her solo shows and exhibitions have been platformed internationally, including in Lebanon, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Pakistan. A member of CRiSAP (Creative Research into Sound Arts Practice), Bradley is currently completing a PhD in Sound Arts at the London College of Communication.
Malu Halasa is the editor of seven anthologies on Middle Eastern art and culture. Her edited volumes include the critically acclaimed Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline (by Saqi Books) and The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie: Intimacy and Design. Halasa has written for The Guardian, Financial Times and Times Literary Supplement. She was previously an editor at the Prince Claus Fund in Amsterdam, Editor-at-Large for Portal 9 in Beirut, Lebanon, and a founding editor of Tank Magazine in London. She is currently the literary editor at Middle Eastern arts magazine The Markaz Review.
Vali Mahlouji is an art curator and founder of Archaeology of the Final Decade, a non-profit platform which recovers erased histories. He has worked with Tate Modern, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Smithsonian Institute, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The British Museum. Mahlouji is a member of Art Dubai Modern Advisory Committee and a board member of Bahman Mohassess Estate.
Roshi Rouzbehani is an Iranian freelance illustrator who has created editorial illustrations for The New Yorker, Washington Post and The Guardian, among others. In 2020, she self-published the illustrated biography, 50 Inspiring Iranian Women. Her work has featured in BBC 100 Women, The Covent Gardner, Doha Debates and the Iranian Women’s Studies Foundation.
Tasalla Tabasom is an artist whose practice explores themes of race, sexuality and identity through the use of the body. Born in Iran, she studied at the University of the Arts, London and her work has been exhibited in various group exhibitions in London and Tehran. She works across a variety of media, including painting, performance and sculpture.
Copies of Woman Life Freedom: Voice and Art from the Women’s Protests in Iran edited by Malu Halasa (out 12 Sep 2023) will be available to purchase on the night (RRP £14.99). Find out more information here.
This event will feature live BSL interpretation.
Saqi Books is a leading independent publisher of books on the Middle East and North Africa. This one-off event follows in the wake of previous Saqi sell-out events ‘Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic’ and ‘Love and Lust by Arab Women Writers’.
Image credit: Shiva Khademi
Saqi Books Website / Saqi Books Instagram
If you have any access requirements, please contact our box office team on 020 7613 7498 or email boxoffice@richmix.org.uk
