Ramak Bamzar, The Vigil – Crying for a Man I Never Met, 2022. Image courtesy of the Artist.

Iranian-Australian artist Ramak Bamzar seeks to enter a deeper understanding of the culture and behaviour of women in the Middle East and uses social media as a source to inspire the creation of staged portraits of contemporary Iranian women.

Guided by Antoin Sevruguin’s historical photographs, she recreates images of Iranian women from the 19th Century to confront the ideals of beauty as fleeting and fickle and reveal the impact of the male gaze on the face and female identity in the Middle East. Emphasising the distinction between modern expectations and ancient traditions, she portrays women’s choice of fashion, appearance, and beauty to represent how the limitations and pressures of the male-oriented culture can affect women’s perception, self-esteem, self-image, and individual identity.