Who Am I?

Inaugural exhibition of the Iranian Artist Relief Fund

It may seem like a simple question but imagine when all of your known freedoms are taken away. Who are you then? Are you a byproduct of that restriction? Do you diminish your light because it’s forbidden to shine? Or can you find a way to represent yourself and others. This is the curatorial narrative of the exhibition and what ties the works together.

Shaped remotely between Tehran, Toronto, and Dubai, Who Am I? consists of twelve artists living and working in Iran. They were conceived by an international advisory committee consisting of Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, Hesam Rahmanian, and myself.

We asked the participant artists if you were free from the sanctions, regulations, the strict censorship and rules under the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding religion, women’s rights, nudity, LGBTQ+, and socio-political matters, what would you create? Over the course of six months, the artists were pushed to expand their practice and introduce new mediums or methods in their artwork to reveal a sense of truth. The result is an uncensored and raw reflection of self.

The exhibition was produced by Hirbod Human, Director of Exhibition and Programming at Mayten’s, with F. Talaee serving as the curator.