Soheila Sokhanvari: Iranian Exile Artist Fights for Women's Rights Through Art

Soheila Sokhanvari, an Iranian-born multimedia artist living in London since 1978, uses her art to amplify the voices of Iranian women. After a career as a biochemical researcher, she turned to art, influenced by her father, a model and painter. Her work focuses on pre-revolutionary Iran, particularly the Pahlavi era (1925–1979), and the loss of women's rights after the 1979 revolution. She employs magical realism, symbolism, and portraiture to address collective trauma and forgotten female performers. Sokhanvari's exhibition 'Rebel Rebel' in London honored women who inspired current protests. She critiques the Iranian regime's control over women's bodies and highlights the generational shift, noting that 82% of Iranians support a secular government and Generation Z is less religious than American youth. Sokhanvari's art aims to counter stereotypes and present a nuanced view of Iranian women as creative, liberal, and powerful.