Shirin Neshat(Born 1957)

Iranian visual artist, Shirin Neshat is known for her controversial political commentary. Her art often encompasses a paradox of Eastern versus Western themes. This derives from her dual identity as an Iranian-American. She first left Iran to study art in Los Angeles during the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Over a decade later, in 1990, she returned to Iran and immersed herself in the study of the Revolution. Neshat explored martyrdom, female power and Islamic ideologies during her visit, and in this period, her art became increasingly more political and critical of the theocratic government. Upon returning to the United States, she decided she would embark on a self-imposed exile. Neshat writes that this was her personal protest against Iran’s government.