Acrylic on Canvas

Without You, Middle East is an Empty Oil-Well was created in response to the Woman-Life-Freedom movement in Iran. The suffocating hair in the painting represents how tools of identity and beauty are turned into instruments of control under compulsory hijab laws. The dark, oppressive tones reflect grief and silencing, while the fiery crack at the woman’s heart and throat symbolizes inner resistance—rage, truth, and power ready to erupt. This piece is both a protest and a tribute. It speaks to the erasure of women in the Middle East and asserts that without them, its strength and soul are lost.

The title, "Without You, Middle East is an Empty Oil-Well," speaks to how invaluable women are to the spirit and future of the region. Without them—without us—its riches are hollow, its power meaningless.

Completed 12.01.2023