When Badri became pregnant for the third time—like the two pregnancies before it, unwanted—she decided to miscarry again. The pregnancy, born out of an unofficial marriage, was a dangerous secret, raising red flags under Iran's strict gender apartheid. The medical system, shaped by religious and patriarchal oppression, offered no refuge. Like thousands of women in Islamic countries, Badri sought out the black market, navigating an underground world to terminate her unwanted pregnancy.
This series of photographs documents the residue and physical traces of Badri's performance, "Third Abortion." These images do not merely retell a traumatic personal narrative; instead, they represent a bold crossing of boundaries—geographical, cultural, religious, gendered, and personal. Through this performance, she dismantles silence, opening a space for collective healing and challenging oppressive systems that confine women. The symbolic use of objects such as sheets, towels, and feathers soaked in blood blurs the line between the body and object, between art and lived experience. These materials, marked by the trauma of the abortion, transcend their traditional roles to become potent symbols of pain, resistance, and reclamation.
"Third Abortion" is not just a performance—it is a living testimony that compels the audience to confront the stark realities of women’s lived experiences under oppressive regimes. By layering personal trauma with cultural critique, this work redefines the boundaries of what art can express, transforming silence into a platform for resistance and dialogue.
- Badri Valian
Bio:
Badri Valian is a painter, social practitioner, public performer, and participatory interactive installation artist based in San Francisco. Born and raised in the mountainous central region of Iran, her life was profoundly impacted by the Islamist government that took control of the country after the 1979 revolution.
Badri's maternal indigenous Kurdish roots trace back to Kurdistan, near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. Her family was displaced to central Iran, carrying a deep intergenerational trauma that contributed to her mother’s lifelong battle with severe depression.
At the age of 11, Badri discovered the power of sports and physical activity, using them as a means to spend more time outside her home. Playing volleyball professionally empowered her to support her family emotionally, particularly during the period when her mother became completely paralyzed due to depression.
In her early 20s, after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Badri became a national mountain climbing team member in Iran, embarking on expeditions in the Himalayas, including around Everest and Annapurna.
Experiencing the censorship, gender discrimination, and inequality in Iran—juxtaposed with her life in the U.S.—Badri felt compelled to use her art as a platform to amplify her voice and those of underrepresented communities. Just last year, her interactive art projects were displayed in numerous galleries and venues, including the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA), NUMU museum in Los Gatos and the Shibori Museum in Kyoto Japan. Her video "Flamenco with Stars" was commissioned by Jim Campbell Studio and showcased atop the Salesforce Tower for the entire month of March in celebration of immigrant women. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in San Francisco exhibited her installations last summer and provided opportunities for her to perform several interactive projects, including "Detained Imprints" and "A Cup of Tea". Detained Imprints caught the attention of a scholar researching art and resistance in Iran, and Badri was featured in the scholar's upcoming book "Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran", now available for pre-order on Amazon.
Badri has received prestigious recognition, including the "Daughters of the American Revolution" award for her advocacy for democracy through art. She is also a finalist grantee of the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC), the Impact Award from the Center for Art and Public Life (CAPL), and the Ted Purves Award for her social practice activities.
Identifying as an artist in exile, Badri dreams of one day presenting her artwork in her homeland of Iran, free from censorship and consequences.