Key Points
- Murals in Melbourne and Sydney show solidarity with the protest movement in Iran
- Iranian-Australians say art is an important outlet of expression that has been stifled in their homeland
- The unrest in Iran has entered its third month
Like so many in the Iranian diaspora, Samaneh* has spent the past three months wracked with feelings of anger, sorrow and worry.
Since the death of Mahsa 'Jina' Amini on 16 September, the widespread civil unrest in Iran has brought regular news of protesters being killed on the streets and activists, artists and students being arrested.
Some are taking creative measures to echo the anti-regime art that has turned up on city walls across Iran, often bearing the slogan ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’.
'Art needs an audience'
Determined not to be a bystander, Samaneh decided to add her own voice of protest to Melbourne's famously graffiti-strewn streets.
Coming from a science background, she considers art a hobby.
From a quick online search, Samaneh learned that if she didn't want to wait for a graffiti permit, one of her only options was Hosier Lane, the narrow thoroughfare in the CBD beloved by tourists for its ever-changing urban art.
She visited on a weekend and found the perfect spot.
Bahar and Samaneh in front of their artwork in Melbourne Credit: supplied
"When I saw that I thought, this is the one. This is our Iran, this is our Iran locked up. There were holes where blood could erupt and symbolise the suppression."
Samaneh got in touch with Bahar*, another Iranian-Australian artist whose work she admired, and they developed a concept together in which images of political prisoners would be depicted behind bars.
Graffiti in Melbourne, done by Bahar and Samaneh
But she was driven to share with others her "humiliating" experience of growing up as a woman in Iran.
"We have experienced too much misery and suffering. We grew up being humiliated, we knew we were under male dominance, we had no rights.
"Now, we think we live freely, but subconsciously, we are still under dominance. Since we were children, we were subject to repression."
For her, art is an invaluable outlet of expression.
I had never felt free. I lived through all these feelings, they were like fire under ashes. However, our graffiti acted like a spark, it brought me freedom. I feel I am being understood.Bahar, Iranian-Australian artist
Samaneh and Bahar decided to make their graffiti interactive.
“To the lock, we attached a string with some chalk. As people pass by, they stop, look at the artwork and notice the photo-collage, the images of prisoners with their description," Bahar explained.
"When they get to know the story, they write messages for us. Even if we are not present, communication is taking place. It is amazing that we are being understood. People are hearing our voice.
"That’s why having an audience is important.”
Messages of hope for Iran left by the public in Hosier Lane, Melbourne. Credit: supplied
“Art is something that connects with all the cells in one’s body. Art builds relationships with people of any age,” she said.
After finishing their artwork, Samaneh and Bahar bought sandwiches and sat in the laneway.
Samaneh said: “I told Bahar, let’s enjoy seeing people pass, stop and pay attention to our work. This was our reward, and we did not even expect that much engagement.”
Bahar and Samaneh show their hands after finishing artwork in Hosier Lane, Melbourne Credit: supplied
'A community collaboration'
In Sydney, Ala_ti_ti (her Twitter handle) decided to approach high-profile Australian street artists to engage them in the painting of a mural.
One of those she reached out to was Scott Marsh, a graffiti artist dubbed the 'Australian Banksy' and known for tackling political and often controversial topics.
Ala_ti_ti was thrilled that Mr Marsh accepted, as he would be able to leverage his own large following to "spread the word".
“We thought art could be a bridge. Many Australians are not so involved in politics, compared to us coming from the Middle East," she said.
"We wanted to raise awareness and invite people to stand with us, to know there is something awful happening in a corner of the world."
A group of people, gathering in front of a Mahsa Amini mural in Sydney.
“Members of Sydney's Iranian community reached out to me to paint something for the Iranian people. I was honoured they chose me and my work to represent something so important to them,” he said.
A new mural of Mahsa Amini, to show support for the people of Iran, is presented by artist Scott Marsh, on 4 November, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Saverio Marfia/Getty Images
After community members provided him with background information, Mr Marsh chose to enrich the mural with the message written on Mahsa’s grave: ‘You won’t die, your name will become a code’.
'Celebrating diversity'
Saeed Sourati is an Iranian-Australian filmmaker and multi-disciplinary artist based in Sydney whose "heart beats for both his countries".
He is another using art to amplify Iranian calls for freedom.
Watching the turmoil unfold from afar, he said the slogan ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ offers a sense of hope.
“In addition to the feelings of anger which started the movement, hope is what drives the continuation of the movement: hope for a brighter future, hope for an open space for thought, and hope for democracy,” he said.
To show solidarity with the movement, Saeed has also created a mural as he believes this artform is the essence of city life.
“[Murals] are something that happen every day in Iran; I was inspired by this and tried to develop an idea in collaboration with other friends to reflect the movement on a wall of Newtown.”
Graffiti in Newtown Sydney by a group of Iranians Credit: PINK S1- Saeed Sourati
"The process has been filmed and photographed, and we shared it with our relatives, friends and the people of Iran. We wanted to tell them we accompany them through all this.
In fact, we transformed one of the walls of Sydney into one of the walls of Tehran.Saeed Sourati, Iranian-Australian artist
Mr Sourati said diversity is at the core of this artwork.
“The colours in this artwork are symbols of the diversity of thought, belief and ethnicity, and ultimately, the beauty of life," he said.
"I put Iran in the centre of the work like the sun, but in the lowest part, to be a reminder of the sun at the crack of dawn; the moment where the colours are seen at their most stunningly beautiful.”
Graffiti in the Sydney suburb of Newtown that reflects the current protest movement in Iran Credit: PINK S1- Saeed Sourati
Shaping 'collective memory'
Nasibe Irani, a researcher at Flinders University, is exploring the impact of art on social change.
With Melbourne being a hub of street art, she said public installations play a particular important role in shaping collective memory.
Ms Irani recalled first seeing graffiti in relation to Iran’s current protests , when a global protest was organised in nearly 180 cities across the world in solidarity.
“I was on my way to protest, and I saw one of my fellow nationals had painted a wall in Hosier Lane. There was thought, idea and soul behind the work. It had the hashtag #MahsaAmini, the slogan 'Woman, Life, Freedom' and some pictures.”
The artist behind that artwork in Melbourne CBD, which has since been painted over, was Nazanin*.
"I did this with some friends in the first week right after the tragic death of Mahsa," she told SBS Persian.
"We had to do it very quickly, as we were worried about the Islamic regime’s supporters being able to identify us.
"We pasted print-outs to the wall and this encouraged other people to add to it. After two protests in Federation Square, I saw people coming over and taping their placards to the wall.
"My aim was to possess some wall space in the city to create an exclusive space for us.”
For researcher Ms Irani, the dynamic nature of protest art is what makes it such a strong agent for social change.
When an artwork is created, from that point, it takes its own path. It could veer away from the artist’s intention or come even closer.Nasibe, Iranian-Australian researcher
"Art communicates with people’s souls. With graffiti, people first look at it through an aesthetics lens. They may find it beautiful, but eventually they get more details, get to know the story and the reasons behind every image.”
Protest street art by Nazanin and her friends, Hosier Lane Credit: supplied
'A good starting point'
Ramak Bamzar is an Iranian-Australian photo media artist and costume designer who uses her art to point out the paradoxes her generation grew up with in her homeland.
Ms Bamzar migrated to Australian in 2010 and received a Master of Fine Arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in 2022.
Her latest exhibition, “Moustachioed Women and Rhinoplastic Girls”, is currently on display as part of the Head On Photo Festival in Sydney.
From Ramak Bamzar's series "Moustachioed women and rhinoplastic girls" Credit: Ramak Bamzar
"Growing up in the Islamic Republic of Iran, you've got a religion which has turned into a culture. A culture that prohibits and controls women's bodies,” she said.
“I am not talking about the last decade. This patriarchal culture has been institutionalised in our culture.
“My latest exhibition is my memories from my childhood. Memories of the women that I saw when I was a child."
She argues that a surge in nose surgery among women is one little talked about consequence of patriarchy.
The current culture in the Middle East has imposed limitations and due to these women are not able to fully express themselves.Ramak Bamzar, Iranian-Australian artist
"And because of the restrictions around women's clothing and the women's body, we see lots of nose surgeries in Iran.”
From Ramak Bamzar's series "Moustachioed women and rhinoplastic girls" Credit: Ramak Bamzar
"Continuation of these protests would facilitate further personal freedoms for Iranian women.
“Islam has limited women in Iran for so many years. In my opinion, the recent protests by Iranian women represent a fast move from a traditional society to a much modern, progressive society.
LISTEN TO
Listen to Ramak's interview in Persian
08:14
*Last name withheld for privacy reasons
