When I was sleeping (Triptych)
2023
Charcoal pencil and ink on paper
37 x 27cm / 14.5″ x 10.6″
Farhad Meysami (born November 17, 1969) is an Iranian physician, teacher, and civil activist. He believes in non-violence and civil disobedience. He was sentenced to a five-year sentence in August 2018 for crimes such as “spreading propaganda against the regime”. He was released in February 2023 after a four-month hunger strike that grew international attention.
After his hunger strike, images of his frail body went viral on social media. Using these photos as a reference, I created three drawings in which a white cloth appeared in different forms—a flag in one, a scarf in another, and a turban in the last. Through this transformation, I aimed to critique religious power structures and the laws enforcing compulsory hijab.
The shifting presence of the white cloth suggested how garments—as markers of identity, devotion, or national pride—could also be instruments of oppression or resistance depending on context. The flag evoked notions of national identity and revolution, while the scarf referenced both the hijab, and the broader cultural expectations imposed on women. The turban, a traditional religious symbol, pointed to the authority of the clerical establishment, highlighting its role in enforcing these restrictions.
