Woman Life Freedom

Shirin Neshat

Shirin Neshat is one of the most influential artists and filmmakers working today, internationally celebrated for a practice that explores the intersections of identity, gender, power, religion and exile. Through photography, film and video installation, she has created a body of work that gives visual form to the complexities of belonging, displacement and resistance, often drawing upon her experiences as an Iranian woman living between cultures.

Born in Qazvin, Iran, in 1957, Neshat moved to the United States prior to the Iranian Revolution and has lived in exile for much of her adult life. Her return to Iran in the early 1990s profoundly shaped her artistic direction, leading to the creation of the landmark Women of Allah series (1993–1997). Combining portraiture, Persian poetry and symbolic imagery, these works established many of the themes that would come to define her practice: the relationship between faith and politics, the role of women in society, and the tensions that emerge when personal identity intersects with larger historical forces.

Throughout her career, Neshat has moved fluidly between still and moving images, creating poetic works that resist simple political readings while remaining deeply engaged with contemporary realities. Her acclaimed films and video installations frequently examine the emotional and psychological dimensions of displacement, exploring how individuals navigate systems of authority, collective memory and cultural expectation. Through a visual language that is both intimate and monumental, she has become one of the defining artistic voices of the global Iranian diaspora.

In 2022, Neshat collaborated with CIRCA on Woman Life Freedom, an urgent public intervention presented across London and Los Angeles in solidarity with the movement that emerged following the death of Mahsa Amini. Drawing upon two pivotal works from her Women of Allah series, Moon Song and Unveiling, the commission amplified the rallying cry being heard across Iran and throughout the world. Presented in partnership with Human Rights Watch, the project transformed public screens into platforms for solidarity and collective action, demonstrating how art can respond to moments of crisis while affirming the universal struggle for dignity, equality and freedom.

Neshat has received numerous international honours, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. Her work has been exhibited at institutions including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Serpentine Gallery, Hamburger Bahnhof, The Broad and museums worldwide. Through a practice defined by both poetic sensitivity and political urgency, Shirin Neshat continues to create powerful images that challenge injustice while affirming the resilience of the human spirit.