Shirin Neshat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shirin Neshat
Neshat at the Viennale 2009
Born	(1957-03-26) March 26, 1957 (age 68) Qazvin, Imperial State of Iran
Nationality	Iranian-American
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BA, MA, MFA)
Known for	Mixed media performance, video installations, photography
Notable work	The Shadow under the Web (1997), Speechless (1996), Women without Men (2004) Rapture (1999)
Movement	Contemporary art
Spouse(s)	Kyong Park (divorced)
Partner(s)	Shoja Azari
Awards	Silver Lion Venice Film Festival, Golden Lion Venice Biennale

Shirin Neshat (Persian: شیرین نشاط; born March 26, 1957) is an artist from Iran who lives in New York City. She is known for her films, videos, and photos. Her art often explores differences between cultures, like Islamic and Western ways of life. She also looks at ideas of being a woman or a man, and how people live their public and private lives.

After the Islamic Revolution, Shirin Neshat started making art about unfair rulers and political problems. She says her art is a way to protest and speak up for people.

Neshat has won many awards. In 1999, she received the International Award at the Venice Biennale. In 2009, she won the Silver Lion for best director at the 66th Venice Film Festival. A critic from Huffington Post even called her the "Artist of the Decade."

Early Life and Education

Shirin Neshat grew up in Qazvin, a religious city in Iran. She was the fourth of five children in a wealthy family. Her parents, especially her father, wanted their children to be independent and learn about the world. They sent all their children to college.

In 1975, Neshat moved from Iran to the United States. She studied art at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her Bachelor's, Master's, and Master of Fine Arts degrees there. After graduating in 1983, she moved to New York City.

For about 10 years, Neshat worked with her future husband at a place called the Storefront for Art and Architecture. During this time, she didn't make much art. She felt that the art scene in New York was intimidating.

In 1990, Neshat visited Iran again. This trip was a big shock for her. She saw how much the country had changed since the revolution. This experience made her want to create art seriously again. In 1993, she started focusing on photography.

Artworks and Themes

Neshat's early works were photographs. These included the Unveiling (1993) and Women of Allah (1993–97) series. These photos looked at what it means to be a woman in Islamic society. She often wrote Persian calligraphy over the images of women.

Her art explores the social, cultural, and religious rules in Muslim societies. She often shows the differences between men and women. Neshat sometimes uses two or more films at once to create strong visual contrasts. For example, she might show light and dark, or men and women, on different screens.

Neshat's work often talks about the experiences of women in Islamic countries today. She tries to show the complex ideas and beliefs that shape Muslim women's lives. She uses Persian poetry and beautiful writing to explore ideas like bravery, being away from home, and what it means to be a woman.

In 2001–02, Neshat worked with singer Sussan Deyhim on a project called Logic of the Birds. This show combined different art forms and was shown in New York, Minneapolis, and London. Neshat often uses music in her art to create strong feelings. She believes music helps connect with people from different cultures.

When Neshat started making films, she was inspired by Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. She directed several videos, including Turbulent (1998) and Rapture (1999). These works helped her become known around the world. In 1999, she won a major award at the Venice Biennale for Turbulent and Rapture.

Shirin Neshat with Shoja Azari and Babak Payami in 2013.

In 2009, Neshat directed her first feature film, Women Without Men. It was based on a novel by Shahrnush Parsipur. The film won the Silver Lion for best director at the 66th Venice Film Festival. The movie looks at the 1953 event when the US and Britain helped change Iran's government. Neshat said the film was a "labour of love" and speaks to both her country and the world.

In 2009, Neshat joined a hunger strike at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She was protesting the Iranian presidential election that year. In 2022, she showed her work Woman Life Freedom to support protests about the Death of Mahsa Amini in Iran.

Exhibitions and Recognition

Shirin Neshat's art has been shown in many places around the world. Her first solo exhibition was in New York in 1993. A large show of her work was organized by the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2013. In 2019, The Broad Museum in Los Angeles held a big show called Shirin Neshat: I Will Greet the Sun Again, which covered 30 years of her art.

Neshat has received many honors. In 2006, she won The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. This is a very important award given to artists who have made a great contribution to the world.

In 2010, a critic from Huffington Post called her the "Artist of the Decade." He said her art helps people understand the important struggles for human rights around the world. In 2015, famous photographer Annie Leibovitz photographed Neshat for the Pirelli Calendar.

Opera Work

In 2017, Shirin Neshat directed the opera Aida at the Salzburg Festival. This was a new challenge for her. The opera tells a story about political power and religion affecting private life and love. Neshat felt a connection to the story, saying, "Sometimes the boundaries between Aida and myself are blurred."

Selected Artworks

• Turbulent, 1998. A video and sound art piece.
• Rapture, 1999. A video and sound art piece.
• Soliloquy, 1999. A color video with Neshat as the main character.
• Fervor, 2000. A video and sound art piece.
• Passage, 2001. A video and sound art piece.
• Logic of the Birds, 2002. A multimedia performance.
• Tooba, 2002. A video and sound art piece based on Shahrnush Parsipur's novel Women Without Men.
• The Last Word, 2003. A video and sound art piece.
• Mahdokht, 2004. A video and sound art piece.
• Zarin, 2005. A video and sound art piece.
• Munis, 2008. A color video and sound art piece based on Shahrnush Parsipur's novel Women Without Men.
• Faezeh, 2008. A color video and sound art piece based on Shahrnush Parsipur's novel Women Without Men.
• Possessed, 2009. A black and white video and sound art piece.
• Women Without Men, 2009. A feature film based on Shahrnush Parsipur's novel Women Without Men.
• OverRuled, 2011. A performance art piece.
• Before My Eyes, 2011. A short film.
• Illusions & Mirrors, 2013. A short film for Dior, starring Natalie Portman.
• Looking for Oum Kulthum, 2017. A feature film co-directed with Shoja Azari.
• Land of Dreams, 2021. A feature film co-directed with Shoja Azari.
• The Fury, 2022. A black and white video installation.

Awards and Honors

• First International Prize at the Venice Biennale (1999)
• Grand Prix at the Kwangju Biennale (2000)
• Visual Art Award from the Edinburgh International Film Festival (2000)
• Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography, New York (2002)
• ZeroOne Award from the Universität der Künste Berlin (2003)
• Hiroshima Freedom Prize from the Hiroshima Museum of Art (2005)
• The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, New York (2006)
• Rockefeller Foundation Media Arts Fellowship, New York (2008)
• Cultural Achievement Award, Asia Society, New York (2008)
• Silver Lion Award for Best Director, 66th Venice International Film Festival (2009)
• Cinema for Peace Special Award, Hessischer Filmpreis, Germany (2009)
• Crystal Award, World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland (2014)
• Rockefeller Fellow, United States Artists, New York (2016)
• Praemium Imperiale Award (2017)
• Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, Bristol (2020)

See Also

In Spanish: Shirin Neshat para niños

• Iranian cinema
• Iranian modern and contemporary art