This article discusses war and extreme violence against the people of Iran, which may be distressing for some readers.
This week, the John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC)’s Wallace Hall was transformed into a space for somber contemplation and hopeful celebration of Iranian artistry and culture.
Led by an independent group of Queen’s graduate students affiliated with the Iranian Association of Queen’s University (IAQU), Art & Solidarity: An Exhibition for Iran ran in Wallace Hall on Mar. 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Mar. 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exhibition featured Iranian food, music, and artwork created by students, as well as Iranian citizens’ resistance to the Islamic Republic’s violence and cultural control. Rows of easels displayed paintings and other works of art on sale for donations from attendees.
Upon stepping into the space, thousands of photographs printed in black-and-white lined the walls. “You see at least 3,000 beautiful faces of people massacred in January 2026 by the Islamic Regine,” said third year PhD candidate Parisa Nozari, Sci ’27, in an interview with The Journal. Nozari spoke as she toured me around the space, referencing the death toll of security forces’ crackdowns on protests on Jan. 8 and 9.
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“This is the biggest massacre in our modern history in Iran, but not the first one,” Nozari said. Over the next hour, she walked me through works of art and educational postings that told the story of the Iranian people’s resistance to the nearly 47-year-long rule under the Islamic Republic.
Watercolour, sketchings, and paintings were used to tell the story of movements like Women, Life, Freedom in 2022. Nozari said student organizers sent out a call for contributions around two weeks prior to the exhibition. The presentation was aimed at “non-Iranians, specifically,” she said. Nozari is an international student studying Astronomy and Astrophysics with his family currently in Iran.
“We [Iranians] know what’s happening, but [the exhibition]’s for non-Iranians to see the opinions of real Iranian people inside Iran, and the diaspora,” Nozari said.
“One thing that’s very important is that Iranian people still to this day have hope,” Nozari said. “That needs to be reminded that we’re here to fight and raise our voices to show what Iranian people demand,” she said. Prominently featured in many works were symbols of phoenixes, which Nozari describes as central to themes of hope and renewal in Iranian mythology.
As she walked me through displays outlining historic conflicts between Iranian protesters and Islamic government leaders, Nozari was careful to explain that works depicting the removal of the Islamic symbol on Iran’s flag didn’t represent Islamophobia.
“We as a nation are very diverse. We’re a people of different ethnic groups and different religions,” she said. “We have Muslims, we have Shia, we have Sunni, we have Bahais, we have Zoroastrians, we have Jewish people, and we have Christians,” Nozari said.
To Nozari, choosing one religion’s symbol to represent Iran’s varied population doesn’t encompass its history. “We want our culture, our language, our complexity, and our diversity to be restored,” Nozari said.
The exhibition was deeply moving, equal parts mournful and expressive. In one work, a woman dances with an expression of sadness. Nozari explained that dance is used to mourn young loved ones in Iran. “When the pain is beyond expressing with words, we express it with our bodies,” she said.
“You dance because that could have been their wedding party, their graduation ceremony. But right now we have to be here, holding hands above their graves,” Nozari said.
Right now, Iran faces a moment of extreme crisis. Citizens face a near-month-long digital blackout enforced by the government during the ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel. “We’re in a silence. There’s no way to connect with our families and friends,” Nozari said.
As an Iranian international student, Nozari currently holds no permanent residency or citizenship in Canada. “I’m in exile because I’m digitally active, being the voice of Iranians,” she said. Members of the Iranian diaspora have faced security threats for speaking out against Islamic leaders.
Regime change is the main focus of the Iranian people during wartime. If U.S. and Israeli forces leave a wounded Islamic Republic in charge, Nozari said, Iranian citizens will likely face further violence if said forces withdraw. “Please include us in your calculation, in your decisions, that we as Iranians were silenced [via blackouts],” Nozari urged world leaders. She said stopping the war with regime change would represent victory for the Iranian people. She personally points to Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah, as a possible transition leader.
We concluded our tour of the artwork by examining the Haft-Sin, a traditional table arrangement celebrating Norwuz, or the upcoming Persian New Year, on Mar. 20. It sat in the centre of the hall, featuring Iranian sweets and seven items starting with the letter “s” in Persian. As Nozari walked me through the display and looked ahead to the New Year, we ended our discussion on a hopeful note.
“We’re here to show that we’re spending our most difficult time showing resilience. We still have hope,” Nozari said.
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Art & Solidarity, artwork, JDUC
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