Soho20 Gallery is pleased to present Iranian Voices: Women in Solidarity, the work of ten Iranian artists from the United States and Iran. Their work is deeply rooted in issues of women and power. While this has been an ongoing theme for many of the artists, it has taken on new relevance as the female-led protests continue in Iran. Some of the artists use their images to construct a new kind of iconography. Other artists struggle to find comfortable roles as women in a male-dominated culture. There are artists who celebrate the power of women in the celestial realm, while others turn to ancient cultures and their myths, and some who revisit Iran's rich art and architectural history. Although the artists are diverse in practice, whether they create work here or in Iran or whether their work is inspired by resistance or remembrance, it's clear the connection to their culture is multifaceted and runs deep. Their candid statements and powerful images are a testament to who they are and how they reconcile and reclaim their place under the weight of this ancient culture.

From the artist's statement of Roya Farassat:

I've lived so many years of my adult life in diaspora, I still haven't broken free from the challenges and expectations imposed by my earlier culture....Today, Iran has a new generation of brave women who have empowered themselves to look beyond the multiple layers of oppression....The world finally sees and hears them, as they fight the evils of patriarchy. I stand with them in solidarity!

Woman, Life, Freedom! Women in Solidarity!
Debbie Rasiel, Afarin Rahmanifar