Neshat-isms

A vivid and compelling collection of quotations from the influential contemporary artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat

Neshat-isms is an exciting collection of quotations from award-winning Iranian-American visual artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat. Her experiences of loss and grief as an Iranian woman living in exile are central themes of her work in photography, video, and film. She is known for her outspoken advocacy for Iranian women and human rights, and for poetic and politically charged images and narratives that raise questions about power, religion, race, and gender. Gathered from interviews, talks, and writings, these powerful and thought-provoking quotations showcase the voice of one of the most important artists of our time.




“Through my work I have continued to defy and resist the Western clichéd image of Iranian women as passive victims. While acknowledging the repressive situation in Iran, I have continued to represent Iranian women as empowered, courageous, defiant, and rebellious.”
“Every Iranian artist, in one form or another, is political. Politics has defined our lives.”
“I’ve done a lot of work about women in a state of madness, where ultimately they find a kind of freedom.”
“You can’t demystify a myth.”