5 Quotes & Sayings By Shirin Neshat

Iranian-French artist Shirin Neshat has created a body of work that reframes stereotypes of women, their roles in society, and their position in relation to the divine, the sacred, and the profane. Neshat's installation work, which includes photography, film, sculpture, and performance, explores female identity through the lens of Islam. She has created numerous public art projects for institutions such as the National Gallery of Australia. Her notable early works include Cycle (2006), an installation of a large-scale bicycle frame from which she hung a series of gilded steel chains from which hung a series of black silk handkerchiefs Read more

In 2008 she was chosen by the National Museum of Women in the Arts to create a video piece for its touring exhibition entitled The New Woman. In 2010 she made a contribution to the exhibition MYSTICISM: Selections from the Collection at the Museum at FIT with a video called The Nightingale that examined stereotypes of femininity and womanhood in Muslim culture. She created a monumental sculpture called A Thousand Arms for a square in Tehran dedicated to honor women who have lost their lives to honor killings in Iran.

1
I believe we don't need to widen the divide between the West and Islam. Rather, we need to build dialogue to encourage tolerance and respect. Shirin Neshat
2
Magical realism allows an artist like myself to inject layers of meaning without being obvious. In American culture, where there is freedom of expression, this approach may seem forced, unnecessary and misunderstood. But this system of communication has become very Iranian. Shirin Neshat
3
I believe and support the feminist movement, but I am not generally interested in considering women's rights in relation to equality with men, or in a competition with men, but rather within their own rights and feminine space. Shirin Neshat
4
Being political is an integral part of being Iranian. Our lives are defined by politics. Shirin Neshat