Inspired by the resilience of women in Iran and globally, this series showcases female strength, community, and potential even in the face of widespread oppression. In blue, model Sarah Q embodies the cypress tree, sacred in Persian culture as the representation of the tree of life and reincarnation. Surrounded by branches wrapped with hair collected from women around the world, Sarah’s serene power radiates from the images in a display of the collective possibilities of the unity of global women.
In red, Greek dancer and model Dafni Krazoudi represents fire. In Zoroastrian tradition, fire is linked to purity. She harnesses the symbols of several Persian traditions and the holy fire for Assyrians. Artist Sepehr Badiei highlights the stories of a wide range of women both in Iran and across the globe. With this series, Badiei combats one-note Western conceptions of Iranian women, linking the people of his homeland to the rest of the world and shepherding the culture into a modern place, in an effort to shift the focus onto the beauty of stories of female strength.
ARTIST SEPEHR BADIEI
PHOTOGRAPHY MORGAN WHITE
MODELS SARAH Q & DAFNI KRAZOUDI
PERSONAL ASSISTANTS V CHAN
MAKEUP JINNY KIM & KEVIN CORDO
FASHION MAXIMILIAN RAYNOR, SEBASTIEN KWOK & SHANNEN MARIA SAMUEL
SHOES NATACHA MARRO & LUCA BOSANI
RETOUCHING HELEN BYKOVA
CGI ART PAULA JAKUBIAK
SCULPTURAL CHAIR TELLURICO
SPECIAL THANKS BIG SKY STUDIOS
