About Shirin Neshat

Shirin Neshat (born 1957 in Qazvin, Iran) is an internationally acclaimed contemporary artist whose work addresses identity, gender, politics, and culture with extraordinary visual and emotional power. Living in exile since the 1970s, Neshat’s practice often reflects both personal experiences of displacement and broader social realities of her homeland, making her one of the most important artistic voices of the Iranian diaspora.

Her breakthrough came with the iconic photographic series Women of Allah (1993–97), a body of work that garnered global recognition for its stark black-and-white portraits of veiled women inscribed with Persian calligraphy. By incorporating a visual language traditionally dominated by men, Neshat subverts gender norms and provokes critical dialogue around femininity, faith, and resistance. These photographs and their limited edition prints remain highly significant within the field of contemporary photography and are collected by leading museums worldwide.

Beyond photography, Neshat has developed a multifaceted practice that includes video installations and feature films. Her award-winning film Women Without Men (2009) - which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival - poetically intertwines the lives of four women against the political upheavals of 1950s Iran, reflecting her ability to merge the personal with the historical. Through her moving-image works, she continues to interrogate the complexities of power, repression, and cultural memory.

Despite engaging with themes of censorship and oppression, Neshat’s photographs and films radiate resilience and defiance. Her art functions as both an intimate reflection and a universal call for dialogue, urging viewers to reconsider their perceptions of identity, freedom, and human rights. Today, Shirin Neshat’s photography, films, and prints are celebrated in major collections and exhibitions around the globe, affirming her legacy as a pioneering voice in contemporary art and cultural critique.

Notable exhibitions

Shirin Neshat’s exhibition history reflects her stature as one of the most influential voices in contemporary art, celebrated for her profound engagement with themes of identity, gender, and politics. Her unwavering commitment to amplifying marginalized voices has earned her widespread recognition, including the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale in 1999, where she was honored for her powerful video installations.

Since then, Neshat has been the subject of numerous landmark retrospectives and solo exhibitions worldwide. Highlights include early recognition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (1998) and later shows at the Serpentine Gallery in London (2005), the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis (2002), and the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin. She has also presented major solo exhibitions at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, affirming her international acclaim.

More recent milestones include Shirin Neshat: I Will Greet the Sun Again at The Broad in Los Angeles (2019–20), her most comprehensive survey to date, featuring photography, film, and limited edition prints spanning three decades. Additional retrospectives at institutions such as the Detroit Institute of Arts (2013) and the Faena Art Center in Buenos Aires (2012) further cemented her global influence.

Through these exhibitions and awards, Neshat has consistently used her art as a platform for dialogue on exile, identity, and resilience. Her career-long presence in major museums worldwide underscores her role as a pioneering artist whose photography and films bridge cultural divides and challenge audiences to confront urgent social and political realities.