Pro Femina (2023, 2024)
Pro Femina captures some of the brutal reality spanning the last four decades in Iran, with the Women, Life, Freedom movement's most recent manifestation. In this continuous battle for freedom – torture, forced confessions, rape, executions and murders remain notable weapons of oppression used by the Iran security forces.
This body of work is inspired by the Persian poet Ferdowsi's epic and mythological poem and by the 19th-century Iranian poet Aref Qazvini.
The scenes of Pro Femina capture the real stories of modern Iranians with poetic and epic stylings, emphasising the shared human condition across cultures and history.
At the heart of this photographic series lies the unique fusion of Iranian coffee house paintings and the light and composition explored by 17th-century Dutch painters. The culmination of these influences results in Pro Femina – at once, breathtakingly epic and heartbreakingly tragic. Each image serves as a portal into a world of raw emotions, unsung heroism, and undeniable truths. The victims, whose stories are depicted, become more than mere subjects; they evolve into symbols of resilience, reminding us of the indomitable human spirit in the face of adversity. I genuinely hope that you, the viewer, much like an audience member witnessing a Shakespearean tragedy, will be left with a sense of recognition, relief, and a profound realisation of the fragility and strength inherent within every human.
Pro Femina is an acknowledgement of sacrifice and a celebration of the women who have lost their lives in the 21st Century for fundamental freedoms, people who are not just names and hashtags but real, living, vital souls.