Blood of My Blood

Blood of My Blood draws from the Cyrus Cylinder, an ancient Persian artifact often associated with the modern world’s concept of human rights. The figure carries the cylinder upon her head, reconnecting her body with the history and heritage of Iran.

The handprints across her body evoke reports of sexual violence against women and girls in Iranian prisons, confronting the abuse of power and the violation of human dignity. Marked by both history and violence, the figure becomes a shared body—an embodiment of the experiences of Iranian women who, in different ways, have endured the wounds and consequences of the ideology governing Iran.

Carrying her history above her head and its scars upon her body, she becomes a vessel for memory, pain, and resilience of all Iranian women.