Poster by Parisa Tashakori
Sept 13 – Nov 11, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, Sept 13, 5–8 PM
Curated by Parisa Tashakori
Typography is more than design—it’s identity, memory, and resistance. In We Are From Iran, curated by Parisa Tashakori, eighteen Iranian graphic designers share poster works that speak to the urgency and complexity of their lived experiences. These designs, presented in their original Persian forms and translated into English, carry the layered histories of a region shaped by conflict, creativity, and cultural resilience.
The artists featured in this exhibition span multiple generations. Some remember the devastation of the Iran-Iraq war. Others came of age during the Green Movement and the mass protests that followed. The youngest were shaped by the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, where social media became a tool of activism and survival. Just months ago, many endured yet another wave of violence. These designers work within—and often in defiance of—a landscape where peace is rare and expression is not always safe.
In Iranian graphic design, typography is central. It’s not just about organizing text, but about shaping feeling. Rooted in centuries of Persian literary tradition—from Ferdowsi and Saadi to Hafez and Rumi—Iranian designers often reject generic, digital typefaces in favor of expressive, handcrafted letterforms. Typography becomes a poetic language of its own. Every line, curve, and space carries meaning. These works challenge viewers to see not just what the letters say, but how they say it—and why that matters.
As artificial intelligence begins to generate images, text, and even type, We Are From Iran poses a timely question: Can a machine replicate cultural intuition? Can it feel typographic rhythm, or carry the emotional weight of memory, trauma, and joy? This exhibition suggests that while AI may offer speed and replication, it cannot match the depth of a designer rooted in place, language, and lived experience.
We Are From Iran is both a visual and cultural encounter—one that invites audiences to look closely, feel deeply, and consider the power of design as a tool for connection, resistance, and reflection.
Featured Artists:
- Mohammadreza Abdolali
- Mojtaba Adibi
- Sina Afshar
- Hoda Akhlaghi
- Reza Babajani
- Mahdi Fatehi
- Nahid Ghahremani
- Amirhossein Ghoochibeik
- Hamed Hakimi
- Masood Jazani
- Majid Kashani
- Amir Karimian
- Mina Nasliyani
- Maryam Naderi
- Siamak Pourjabbar
- Mehdi Saeedi
- Reyhane Sheikhbahaie
- Parisa Tashakori
About the Curator
Parisa Tashakori is a designer, artist, curator, and activist with more than 20 years of experience in the field. She has collaborated with international advertising agencies and cultural institutions, using design as a vehicle for social engagement and meaningful change. Her work has been featured in hundreds of exhibitions worldwide and has received numerous international awards. Tashakori has also served as a juror and lecturer for major design competitions, including the Lahti Poster Triennial (Finland), MUT ZUR WUT (Germany), and the Poster Biennial in Mexico, and now works at the University of Colorado as the director of the Master’s in Communication Design. From 2012 to 2015, she was a board member of the Iranian Graphic Designers Society, leading its exhibitions program.