Hoda Afshar: Rebel with a Cause
The Iranian artist's latest photographic work debuted in London as part of a new exhibition about fourth-wave feminism on International Women's Day 2024.
.
Hoda Afshar, In Turn series, 2023. © Hoda Afshar. Image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Meeanjin / Brisbane
To commemorate the gutsy artists who have dedicated their work to showing the world how laborious and painful it can be to exist as a female-identifying person, South London Gallery (SLG) opened their new show this morning. In collaboration with the V&A, Acts of Resistance: Photography, Feminisms and the Art of Protest confronts a plethora of issues and global perspectives tied to fourth-wave feminism since 2010.
A lot of ground has been covered from the incarceration of women to the #MeToo movement. Each artistic presentation encapsulates a multitude of ideologies and methods related to activism and protest. Digital formats take centre stage attesting the potential of social media to gather solidarity and momentum across borders.
Head of programme at SLG and co-curator Sarah Allan commended other London spaces that have recently delved into feminist issues - the Tate Britain’s Women in Revolt! and RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology | Barbican at the Barbican - but expressed a gap in the coverage.
Allan said: “So much has been achieved concerning women's and gender rights over the last 10 years but it has also shown us how much still needs to happen. So it felt really urgent to make a show that focused on this particular period and from a global perspective."
Despite the extensiveness and urgency of the issues, the curators have done an exceptional job of creating a space for contemplation that doesn’t feel draining. Instead, it is moving, energising and above all, full of hope.
Hoda Afshar, In Turn series, 2023. © Hoda Afshar. Image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Meeanjin / Brisbane
One of the featured artists is Tehran-born and self-proclaimed feminist, Hoda Afshar, whose practice is rooted in documentary photography. Since leaving Iran for Australia in 2007, she has been gradually moving away from this style and more towards staged pieces.
Whether she is unmasking the ill-treatment of refugees on Manus Island (Remain 2018) or capturing the hidden lives of gay men in Iran (Behold 2017), Afshar’s methods may evolve, but her mission remains the same.
In an interview with the Art Gallery of NSW, Afshar said: “What I seek to do with my practice is challenge modes of representation with photography - I try to rethink the way we make images and speak about certain groups of people. From the beginning for me, camera and photography became this rebellious tool.”
SLG’s Allan was first introduced to Afshar and her work via co-curator Fiona Rogers. During a visit to London, Afshar told them she was working on another photographic series called In Turn (2023) - a collective response and action to grief regarding the death of Jina Amini following her interaction with the morality police in Iran for not wearing her hijab. After hearing about this work, Allan said it was a no-brainer to include it in the collection.
Hoda Afshar, In Turn series, 2023. © Hoda Afshar. Image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Meeanjin / Brisbane
The six images hung back-to-back are the first you see as you enter the main gallery. They show Iranian women embracing one another, plaiting hair and clutching a dove. Whilst the images are relatively simplistic, they are symbolically rich.
The plaits are emblematic in two ways - not only does Afshar play with the images found on social media of Kurdish freedom fighters, who plait their hair to go into battle, she also plays with the Farsi language.
In Farsi, ‘pichesh-e-moo’ is the term used to describe the twines of a plait. The term translates to the turn/fold of the hair, which denotes a turning point for Iran. As for the dove, this is a more universal symbol of freedom, hope and peace.
Enveloped with these metaphors of resistance, Allan added: "There's so much beauty and anger in that work. Hope and despair. For me, it could almost be imagined - part of the feminist future section because it's envisioning this hopeful future that doesn't quite exist yet. Artists are the ones who glimpse at what the future could be like and bring that vision to us."
Hoda Afshar, In Turn series, 2023. © Hoda Afshar. Image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Meeanjin / Brisbane
In Turn is not the first time that Afshar has woven the movement into her artwork. Worried that the issue would flicker out of newsworthy content, she presented Women, Life, Freedom (2022), an installation consisting of images pulled from the internet during the protests that act as a vivid portrayal of the resistance and bravery of Iranian women.
Afshar’s work is characterised by her presence in the West and the complexities of being a Muslim woman in that space. Much of her work is committed to establishing her own agency in shaping and challenging the Western rhetoric and misconceptions about Iran, and Muslim women more generally.
Akin to Afshar and other Iranian women having to watch the uprisings unfold online, 29-year-old Canadian-Iranian Sara Rahimi also struggled with grieving for those women and feelings of helplessness from afar.
During that period, she actively engaged on social media but was wary of how this tragedy would influence Western narratives about Iran and Muslim women. Rahimi believes that art in all its colourful forms can serve as an eloquent medium for tackling these complications.
She said: “Art has the ability to transcend political barriers and connect people on a human level, encouraging a deeper understanding of the complexities involved. Artistic practices can address complex and sensitive topics like those in Iran by fostering empathy, sparking dialogue, and offering nuanced perspectives. Artists can use various formats to provide a platform for diverse voices and shed light on different aspects of the issues at hand."
Hoda Afshar, In Turn series, 2023. © Hoda Afshar. Image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Meeanjin / Brisbane
London-based 26-year-old Niloufar Dar grew up between Iran, Pakistan and the UK. She admitted that at first, she was surprised that social media was the platform this movement gained its impulse given how censored media is within Iran.
Dar explained how language had also acted as an isolating barrier for a majority of Iranians, as it is not common for English to be taught as a second language, unless you go to private school. She takes pride that even with such obstacles in place to connect with the outside world, the people have reclaimed that power.
When Dar moved to Pakistan from Iran at 16, it was the first time she really became aware of the international perspectives and pressures placed on Iranian women.
She clarified: “Pakistanis viewed Iranians as extremely religious, god-fearing and pious. Even though according to a Pakistani, these are really good and admirable qualities, this also puts Iranians at a place of extreme expectations. A Lebanese woman not wearing her headscarf wouldn't create as much outrage as an Iranian woman not wearing one, for example.”
A fan of Afshar’s work, Dar emphasised the importance and need for Iranians abroad to continue to use their voice to elevate issues at home.
She said: “I've always found it quite disappointing when Iranian actors and celebrities sort of evade their origins. They go to another country where they can build a career, but never use their positions of privilege to help the people that they've left behind. Even though they have witnessed that suffering first-hand."
For Dar, art offers the chance to bypass the same roadblocks more traditional forms of activism cannot owing to its abstract nature.
She explained: “I feel like artists can use their art in order to sort of claim plausible deniability if they're faced with backlash whilst still maintaining that leeway of making political statements. That’s the beauty of art."
Hoda Afshar, In Turn series, 2023. © Hoda Afshar. Image courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Meeanjin / Brisbane
Whilst Rahimi is keen to see the world continue to engage, she stressed a nuanced and non-polarising attitude is essential since there are such diverse perspectives within the country.
She affirmed: “The situation in Iran is multifaceted and encompasses various social, political, and economic challenges. Supporting reputable humanitarian organisations, staying informed through reliable sources, and advocating for diplomatic solutions can contribute to positive change. Genuine engagement and empathy can foster a more comprehensive global approach to addressing the needs of those affected in Iran."
As with every intricate socio-political issue, a one-size-fits-all approach will not suffice with Iran if we consider the country’s size and varied demographics. Accordingly, Western discussions must be solicited with empathy and a genuine intention to help those in need. We should be careful not to approach things through an orientalist lens nor indulge in the Western saviour complex.
One thing is clear though - art has been an exceptional apparatus for spreading awareness and yielding support for movements that place oppressed voices at the heart of their work, and Hoda Afshar is a stellar example of an artist who will not let that flame of resistance burn out.
