Pamela Karimi, "Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran" (Leuven UP, 2024)

About this episode

Pamela Karimi discusses her book on the role of art and artists in the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising in Iran.

Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran offers an insightful look at the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising in Iran, sparked by the tragic murder of Jina Mahsa Amini at the hands of the “morality police” for violating hijab rules. Beyond its feminist undertones and the remarkable courage of the young protesters, what sets this uprising apart from previous ones is the abundant and diverse art it has inspired. This book, rather than merely analyzing the artworks that garnered attention on social media platforms, brings to light lesser-known grassroots artistic movements that played a crucial role within their immediate local communities. Engaging with primarily Iran-based artists, it uncovers their role in shaping guerrilla interventions and street occupations and in articulating distinct forms of peaceful civil disobedience. By drawing on a broad spectrum of historical and theoretical sources, this book further reveals the origins and inspirations of Iran’s protest art. Focusing mainly on the interconnections between the public sphere, women’s bodies, and feminist viewpoints, Women, Art, Freedom underscores the vital role of artists in championing global justice…

People in this episode

Guest: Pamela Karimi

Topics covered

• feminism
• protest art
• Iranian politics
• street art
• civil disobedience
• women's rights

Keywords

• Iran
• art
• freedom
• women
• protest
• politics
• civil disobedience
• feminism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: morality police, Leuven UP

Books & works: Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran

More episodes of New Books in Iranian Studies

• Robert Templer, "The Shah's Party: And the Iranian Revolution That Followed (Hurst, 2026) · June 11, 2026 · 44 min
• Homa Katouzian, "Iran and the Revolution: A History" (Yale UP, 2026) · June 4, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Radio ReOrient 14.1: State of the Ummah: “A War Against the Islamic Republic?”, hosted by Shehla Khan, with Mona Makinejadbanadaki and S. Sayyid. · April 10, 2026 · 47 min
• Gijs Kruijtzer, "Justifying Transgression: Muslims, Christians, and the Law - 1200 to 1700" (de Gruyter, 2023) · March 25, 2026 · 58 min
• Understanding Iran Under Attack: A Discussion with Author Vali Nasr · March 12, 2026 · 48 min
• Donna Stein, "The Empress and I: How an Ancient Empire Collected, Rejected and Rediscovered Modern Art" (Skira, 2020) · January 26, 2026 · 47 min