ISTANBUL - Iranian painter and photographer Parya Ghaderi, who migrated from Iran to Turkey due to censorship, says art has become a form of resistance for many Iranian artists. “Our art takes on the role of rebellion,” she said, explaining that her work focuses largely on women, inspired by what she describes as the metaphor that “Iran is like a woman.”

 

Iran is widely regarded as one of the most productive and progressive countries in the arts, yet strict censorship imposed by the state continues to limit artistic expression. These restrictions particularly affect women working in creative fields.

 

In Iran, women are prohibited from singing solo in public, artistic depictions face strict limitations, and actresses cannot appear without a head covering in films. As a result, many artists have resorted to organizing secret concerts and gatherings inside private homes.

 

MIGRATING FOR ARTISTIC FREEDOM

 

Originally from Iran’s Hamedan Province, Parya Ghaderi has been living in Turkey for the past decade. She recalled that after graduating from university and organizing an exhibition, authorities censored many of her works. Parya Ghaderi said: “So many of my paintings were rejected that eventually there was nothing left to exhibit.”

 

Parya Ghaderi explained that she mainly produced figurative works centered on women. “My models were always women. I couldn’t share or display the photographs I took because it was forbidden. All my work remained trapped between four walls,” she said. Now, after years of restrictions, she is preparing to open a new exhibition.

 

LONELINESS AND ART

 

Although she can still travel to Iran, Parya Ghaderi says she continues to live in Turkey because it offers more freedom to work. “Even though the cultures are similar and geographically close, you still feel lonely. Sometimes that loneliness can be good for an artist. Difficult days give strength to art,” she said.

 

‘IRAN IS LIKE A WOMAN’

 

Describing the emotional impact of events in her homeland, Parya Ghaderi uses a striking metaphor. “Iran today is like a woman,” said Parya Ghaderi and added: “Women are admired for their beauty and everyone wants to reach them, touch them. But at the same time, people try to destroy everything beautiful about them. Iran is exactly like that.”

 

ART AS AN EXPRESSION OF EMOTION

 

Parya Ghaderi explained that her works reflect accumulated emotions related to women and women’s rights: “Sometimes when I read a book or watch a film, I realize I have already experienced those feelings as a woman.”

 

Parya Ghaderi stated that living in Turkey allowed her to develop artistically by visiting more exhibitions and interacting with different creative communities. She recently completed a documentary film and submitted it to festivals.

 

ART AS A PERSONAL BATTLE

 

Parya Ghaderi described her artworks as part of an inner struggle between herself and her art. “My previous works were about myself. I expressed unspoken pain through facial figures on canvas,” she said. Because she could not legally use photographs of women with uncovered hair in Iran, she altered the images to create abstract forms that conveyed emotion without revealing identities. “That exhibition came from a battle between me and my art,” she said.

 

WORKING WITH FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY

 

Parya Ghaderi has also worked in fashion photography, exploring how women struggle with imposed beauty standards. She said: “The system forces a certain aesthetic on women. My project aimed to challenge that. For me painting and photography are both tools for expression rather than simply ways to earn money.” She also worked in artistic cinema alongside Kurdish Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi.

 

DOCUMENTARY ABOUT VAHID NASIRIAN

 

Her most recent project is a documentary titled “My Color Changed”, about her uncle Vahid Nasirian, a well-known Iranian artist who worked as a painter, sculptor, and animator. “He was the first person to produce a feature-length animation for children in Iranian cinema, but it was never released,” she said.

 

Nasirian later moved to Turkey but eventually returned to Iran after his residence permit expired. “The sadness and displacement eventually led to his death,” Parya Ghaderi said.

 

WOMAN AND NATURE IN HER ART

 

Many of Parya Ghaderi’s works explore the relationship between women and nature. She said: “At one point I transformed women into trees in my paintings. Women create, transform and regenerate. My works often include short texts reflecting themes of knowledge, life, and femininity, inspired by symbolic interpretations of the story of Eve and the apple.”

 

‘ART BECOMES A FORM OF REBELLION’

 

Parya Ghaderi emphasized that Iran has a deep artistic tradition but that many of these creative opportunities are restricted for women. “The pressure placed on us gave us more strength. Art becomes a form of rebellion,” she said. She added that audiences visiting her exhibitions can feel the pain hidden behind the colors.

 

A LIFE OF RESISTANCE

 

Parya Ghaderi describes herself as someone who has always resisted restrictions. “As a child, girls were not allowed to ride bicycles in Iran. I rode one anyway,” she said. Even today, she believes Iranian women continue to challenge imposed rules and restrictions.

 

DEMAND FOR A DIGNIFIED LIFE

 

Following recent conflicts in Iran, Parya Ghaderi considered returning to the country but decided against it due to the economic situation. “The biggest demand of the Iranian people is simply to live with dignity,” said Parya Ghaderi and concluded: “People want the regime to change and hope for a more democratic country. Not only those who remain in Iran but also those of us who were forced to migrate face many difficulties.”

 

MA / Necla Demir Arvas