ARTIST STATEMENT
Mina Behkar
Beautiful Woman
This photo is a part of a series of 15 photos with the theme of “being a woman” which is the result of three years of my life (2018–2021) in southeastern Iran.
Sistan and Baluchestan province is the second largest province in Iran. Most are Sunni and have certain beliefs. These beliefs generally lead to the elimination of women in society. In this society, women are not seen, but there are bodies in the image of women who live in the service of the ruling power. They are deprived of basic human needs such as follows:
Having no choice in their coverage (as is the case nationwide)
They do not have the right to choose their spouse and if the relationship with the opposite sex is seen outside the marriage, it will be punished by the owners of the daughter (father, uncles, grandfathers), sometimes this is the death penalty.
Child Spouse is very common in this region.
Polygamy is very common in this region. (Men can have up to four wives according to the religion and customs of the society.
This photo specifically refers to one of the prohibitions of women in this region: they are not allowed to take photos of their faces and hang their photos on the wall.
© Mina Behkar