BU2020_Catalogue_ForEvan_April28_Pages

Memories, 2018. Poster. 23.4 × 33.1 in.
163 Hours, 2019. Publication. 4 × 5 in.
Can a visual system bring awareness to the lack
of the basic human right, freedom of speech?
Freedom of speech is taken for granted in developed countries. However, I
witnessed and experienced first hand the persecution bestowed on my Iranian
community for merely expressing beliefs perceived as non-conforming to the
norms dictated by the regime.
For centuries, Iranian people often have hidden their true messages in layers
of symbolism and metaphors to overcome the deep-rooted lack of freedom of
speech. Coded languages are wide-spread in literature, art, and everyday
speaking as a way to communicate messages while avoiding the consequences.
I developed a coded visual system based on the abstract forms and traditional
Persian motifs. Through these metaphors, I spotlight this important, enduring,
and mostly ignored issue—one that many people in the world, including people
of my country, are experiencing. My audience is invited to decode the messages,
with the provided key, and help the silenced voices to be heard.