Shirin Neshat

Shirin Neshat is an Iranian-born artist and filmmaker whose photography, video installations and films examine gender, political power, religion, exile and cultural identity. Born in Qazvin in 1957 and based in the United States, she has developed one of the most internationally recognised practices associated with contemporary Iranian art.

From the photographic series Women of Allah to video installations such as Turbulent and Rapture, Neshat uses the body, the gaze, calligraphy and divided spaces to explore how individual identity is shaped by competing systems of authority. Her work also addresses the contradictions of exile, where distance can provide artistic freedom while making belonging permanently unstable.

This archive brings together critical essays and articles on Shirin Neshat’s artworks, films, exhibitions and position within Iranian feminist art and contemporary visual culture.