The Smarties

In a society like mine, there are always plenty of diverse options and approaches to thinking and acting, which inevitably contradict each other. Shortly after the Islamic Revolution (1979), it became mandatory for every woman to wear a hijab in public, a procedure challenged by many activists and remaining somewhat controversial even today. The collection that you see (I named it “The Smarties”) includes photographs of Iranian girls that I met during my wanderings in Tehran. I was watching them and asked myself what influence color had on the formation of their identity. They represent the generation of the 1990s (and some 1980s). In my view, the Smarties are usually fighters, courageous and libertarian, who see their body as a clean sheet or a blank canvas on which any image can be created. Each of them can rivet my attention for hours. I watch them, I think about them, and I listen to their unique stories. 

Farzaneh, born in 1994, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?My hair has a magic element that gives me good energy.?
Fatemeh, born in 1996, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?I want to make a Colorful Tuesday Movement, on that day no one is allowed to wear black?.
Mona, born in 1993, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?Friedrich Nietzsche said, ‘become who you are.’ That?s why I became who I am with colors. ?
Parisa, born in 1997, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?I am enchanted by colors.?
Faranak, born in 1991, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?The reason I dye my hair is to reduce the grayness of our surroundings and our world.?
Sara, born in 2000, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?I like to create myself as an artwork?.
Parisa, born in 1997, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?I am enchanted by colors.?
Sahar, born in 1992, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?Green is a symbol for me and it connects me to a perfect life. I like to be a part of nature in my next life.?
Aida, born in 1996, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “With colors I can find myself or in other words, I can reinvent myself.”
Naghmeh, born in 1986, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “I fear being stereotyped so I take refuge in colors.”
Elnaz, born in 1997, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “Colors remind me that I’m alive.”
Anita, born in 1997, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “I always wish my hair were pink. When I saw Japanese anime, this passion got bigger.”
Mahtab, born in 1988, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “I love colors, I love their limpidity and the happiness which lives in them.”
Shiva, born in 1998, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “No one born with this kind of hair color, so I dye mine.”
Arghavan, born in 1999, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?Color makes people weirder!?
Nazanin, born in 1997, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “For me blue means peace, something I always wanted to give others. That’s why I say you can show your inner color with hair dye.”
Azin, born in 1999, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “It’s about the characters that I create with each color. I am made of colors.”
Marzieh, born in 1997, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “For me, colors are equal to power and energy.”
Forough, born in 1988, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “I was a redhead pirate in the 18th century!”
Hamta, born in 1994, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “Colors are interesting to me when they can change the nature of things.”
Marjan, born in 1995, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “I always change my identity at the exact moment I begin to feel empty.”
Hedieh, born in 1992, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “I can create new shapes with colors, it’s an endless opportunity.”
Sahel, born in 1998, in Tehran, Iran. She said, “Red was the only color that lent a friendly hand to me and makes peace with me and colors. In red, there is both playfulness and modesty.?
Aysun, born in 1997, in Tehran, Iran. She said, ?I was looking for a tangible difference for others to accept that I did not have to be like everyone else.?
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Office : 39 John Street, Studio 2B-2 New York, NY 10038

© 2024 Middle East Images, LLC.