Nazanin Jahangir

Nazanin Jahangir’s works are intrinsically linked with the Western concept of female portraiture and 19th century depictions of women in the Qajar period, yet they represent the spirit, confidence and courage of Iranian women who have experienced systematic and structural discrimination.

The female bodies are loosely painted yet they share a conceptual density and layered messaging. At first sight the viewer might see a beautifully painted face, yet that face carries the heavy burden of seeking freedom. Jahangir uses the Western medium of acrylic paint on canvas whilst her portraits depict young Iranian women, capturing their potential and exploring the historic authority of women in Iranian culture. The broad eyebrows and large eyes clearly point to their heritage and cultural identities whilst their style of clothing hints at their aspirations. “Women, life, freedom” is the slogan of all of them.

Nazanin Jahangir (b. 1989 Shiraz, Iran) is currently studying and working in Vienna. She graduated from the Department of Dramatic Arts, Art and Architecture, I.A. University of Shiraz, Iran. After graduation, she worked as a theatre instructor in Shiraz before moving to Vienna to study at the University of Vienna (Theatre, Film and Media Studies). Since 2018, Nazanin has been studying Figurative Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna