The New Iranian Woman – Miss Hybrid Series

The New Iranian Woman – Miss Hybrid Series



Shirin
Aliabadi is an artist based in Tehran who explores the
cracks that are created within socially oppressive systems by the
emergence of small subcultures, specifically within Tehran.

This project, the ‘Miss Hybrid Series’ focuses on the fashion
trends of young Iranian women, seeking to give a new meaning to
their identity.

Though the women wear an Islamic veil, they adopt Western
culture with blonde hair, light-coloured contact lenses and nose
tape (inferring a fresh nose job).

Shirin says: “Miss Hybrid can be seen as a make-believe
alternative beauty pageant believing that natural beauty is unfair,
elitist and outdated, while artificial beauty sparked by an
insatiable need to transform into someone else, cosmetic surgery
included, can be regarded as a healthy exercise in cultural
rebellion and global integration.”

Her work can be found in public and private collections around
the world, including The Farjam Foundation, Bristol Museum &
Art Gallery and Collection of Deutsche Bank.

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A Journey Through Iran