Sepideh Farzam, Loosing Eyes for Freedom, 2023, Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection, Victoria. Image courtesy of Mehran Danaie.
Sepideh Farzam
Gallery 2
Friday 14 June - Sunday 7 July
Opening Thursday 13 June 2024, 6pm - 8pm
Two years ago, Iranian women participated in a movement and protested to push back against restrictive laws, aiming to reclaim their freedom. These actions gained global attention, with a focus on eliminating structural barriers to women's equal rights. Many joined demonstrations, particularly against mandatory veiling, advocating for voluntary choice. Their message was the slogan "women, life, freedom." They burned their headscarves in the streets and cut their hair in protests over the death of 21-year-old young woman to symbolise oppression and repression against them. One of the most catastrophic reactions against women protestors has been rendering women blind by security police due to firing plastic bullets and paintballs into their eyes.
Based on these incidents and the ongoing challenges faced by women in Iran, Sepideh Farzam has been deeply inspired to develop a new body of work serving as a testament to the courage, resilience, and struggles of women who have stood up against oppression and fought for their rights. Her artwork, in the form of textile and installation, aims to capture the raw emotions and experiences of the protestors, shedding light on the injustices they have faced.
Through the using of various materials such as uncoated canvas, waxed thread, marbles, plaster, steel plate, plexiglas, cotton bandage fabric and hand-woven carpet as well as symbolic imagery, she aims to shed light on the experiences of Iranian women, giving voice to their stories and advocating for change. This body of work serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality and human rights, both in Iran and around the world.
Sepideh Farzam, Narratives of the Eyes, 2024.Image courtesy of Mehran Danaie.
About the Artist
Sepideh Farzam is a Sydney based contemporary artist. She completed her Master of Studio Art in 2010 and Master of Fine Arts in 2013 at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney, as well as having an undergraduate degree in Electronic Engineering from Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Farzam has held several solo exhibitions in Australia and Europe. Her last solo exhibition was held before COVID pandemic at Firstdraft in 2019. Her work has been included in numerous group exhibitions in Australia and internationally. Farzam participated in a group exhibition in NARS Foundation in NYC in 2020.
Farzam took part in several art residencies in Europe and USA. Her last art residency took place in NARS Foundation in NYC in 2020. Farzam was the winner of Wangaratta Contemporary Textile Award in 2023. She was the winner of the “People’s Choice for Meroogal Women’s Art Prize 2022. She was awarded Cite Internationale des Arts Residency in Paris in 2013 and nominated for the 2012 Jameel Prize, V&A Museum.
