Using her body as a demonstration against war and violence, Raha Rastifard's images are a call for action for Muslim women across the world to realize their influence to bring about change and peace to society.

I have faith in equity, and I trust in a world without violence. Now, Muslim women have power for change in the world; they know more of their power and their rights. They struggle for an equal life in the world, and fight against violence and war in the world, and lend their voice for peace. Many Muslim women in the Middle East live in war, and in spite of that, try to give their children hope for a world.

This current photography work was included in Stockholm Photography Week in the Fotografiska Museum and was well received. As a Muslim woman, I have symbolized and used my body here as a function against violence and war, and I wanted to show Muslim women as an important part in society.

About the Author

Raha Rastifard is an Iranian artist whose work ranges from photography to video and installations. Her work always stems from her personal experiences, and is largely autobiographical. Rastifard was born in Tehran, Iran and currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany. In her highly lyrical art, she creates digital pictures full of (trans) cultural, poetic and historical art reference. Her work as an artist is based on narrating a story.

After the Iranian revolution in 1979, Rastifard went on to graduate from the National University of Art in Tehran with a Bachelor's degree in 1999. Rastifard worked intensively with photography for several years until she founded the artists' group “Artists without Borders” in Iran and curated the group's exhibitions. She moved to Germany to gain new experiences in life, art and to study new languges and culture. In 2011, she achieved a Master's degree in European and Islamic Art History and Iranian Studies at the Frei University Berlin.

During all these years, Rastifard has been very productive as an artist, and her work has been exhibited internationally, including Tehran, Berlin, Bonn, London, New York City, Tokyo, New Delhi, Kabul, Stockholm, Mexico City and Shanghai. Her works are in several private collections and international galleries, as well as in the Pergamon Museum collection in Berlin. Through my work, she has been able to release and resolve her suffering and turbulent life experiences in order to find peace.

For more information: www.raharastifard.com

Related Content

Muslim Women in China

Lili Almog

My past work on women and their private lives inspired me to explore a fascinating topic: women i

More

Unlikely Americans

Hana Baba
NPR radio host Haba Baba shares the story of an Iraqi refugee on what it was like living through the Iraq War.
More

Portraits of Leisure

Maryam Bakhshi
Photographer Maryam Bakhshi shows us that Iranian women and girls enjoy leisure time just as much as anyone. Here they are pictured by the pool, camping, and partying--typical activities that are often overlooked by mainstream depictions of Muslimas.
More

East Meets West

Medina Tenour Whiteman
As an Anglo-American Muslim living in Spain, Medina Tenour Whiteman's work revolves around Muslim identity and expressions of faith in the West. Listen to her song "Echo the Divine" and read some of her poems in "East Meets West."
More