Iran
The veil fascinates and revolts, enthralls and insults. The issue of the veil in the 21st century has become a truly controversial subject.
The veil is religious, political, cultural, artistic... but it is also feminine and therefore consubstantial with the question of their freedom and emancipation. By attempting to explore the complexities and ambiguities of the veil, the series questions our perception of the women photographed in Iran wearing their black hijab. Tradition, oppression, culture, resistance, piety, seduction, violation of women's rights? Aren't all these contradictions reflected in the black silhouettes standing out against the burnt backgrounds?
These photos were taken in Iran in 2017, a relatively peaceful period after the signing of the Vienna nuclear agreement on 14 July 2015, although dress codes still applied to women.
Five years later, the death of Masha Amini on 16 September 2022 after being arrested by the Vice Police for breaching the dress code sparked bloody protests against the ruling regime. Mass imprisonment, death sentences... No one is spared by the Iranian regime's repression. I felt the need to bring these portraits back to life because the issue of the veil is certainly divisive because of its complexity, but current events in Iran remind us how much freedom, starting with that of women, is to be cherished more than ever.
The veil is religious, political, cultural, artistic... but it is also feminine and therefore consubstantial with the question of their freedom and emancipation. By attempting to explore the complexities and ambiguities of the veil, the series questions our perception of the women photographed in Iran wearing their black hijab. Tradition, oppression, culture, resistance, piety, seduction, violation of women's rights? Aren't all these contradictions reflected in the black silhouettes standing out against the burnt backgrounds?
These photos were taken in Iran in 2017, a relatively peaceful period after the signing of the Vienna nuclear agreement on 14 July 2015, although dress codes still applied to women.
Five years later, the death of Masha Amini on 16 September 2022 after being arrested by the Vice Police for breaching the dress code sparked bloody protests against the ruling regime. Mass imprisonment, death sentences... No one is spared by the Iranian regime's repression. I felt the need to bring these portraits back to life because the issue of the veil is certainly divisive because of its complexity, but current events in Iran remind us how much freedom, starting with that of women, is to be cherished more than ever.
