A free online lecture will be held by SFU’s Liberal Arts and 55+ Program on September 26, 2025, to explore the role of contemporary Iranian art as a form of cultural resistance. The one-and-a-half-hour event will be led by Dr. Behrang Nabavi Nejad, an art historian and faculty member at Capilano University specializing in Persian art.
Dr. Nabavi Nejad, who holds a doctoral degree from the University of Victoria and two master’s degrees from the University of Toronto and Bangalore University, will situate selected works by modern and contemporary Iranian artists within their historical and political context.
The presentation will delve into how Iranian artists, both within Iran and in the diaspora, have appropriated Western artistic practices to explore themes of identity while navigating social and ideological restrictions. The lecture will highlight artistic responses to major political upheavals in Iran, including the 1979 Revolution, the Green Movement, and the more recent Woman, Life, Freedom Movement.
By examining these works, the presentation aims to shed light on how art serves as a powerful medium for protest and cultural expression in the face of political oppression. The event is a timely opportunity to understand the intersection of art, politics, and history within a rich and complex visual culture.
