Erasure

Photography, Fatemeh Fani

"Imposed Identity"

"Endless Mourning"

"I Wasn't Asked"

"Uncountable"

"Erasure"

"Confront Us"

"I could not sleep"

"I could not sleep 3"

"I could not sleep 2"

"I could not sleep 1"

PROJECT STATEMENT:

It all started when I was six years old, on the very first day of kindergarten. I was so excited to put on my uniform and get ready to go when my mother suddenly pulled a black piece of cloth over my head—like a sack. It was my first Hejab. She did not ask if I wanted to wear it. She did not ask if I liked the color. She did not even warn me. I do not blame my mum, because she did what she was asked to do. My hair was no longer visible. I felt a tightness around my throat, as if I were being choked. It was suffocating. I felt ugly. I arrived at kindergarten and saw that every girl in my class was also wearing a black sack on her head. From that day on, I had to wear it every single day. Next year, I was about to start first grade in elementary school, the color of the school uniform and the sack changed, but I was still required to wear it. This continued every year, and it was no longer mandatory only in school; as part of the country’s enforcement of Islamic dress codes, it became mandatory in all public spaces.

As a young girl, I did not have the ability to question or resist. The mandatory Hejab has not been just a matter of clothing; it has been a matter of control, of erasure, of violence- it represented a major shift in my childhood and my freedom of expression. My identity was shaped by this law, by this requirement. For years, I lived under the weight of a decision that was made for me. The state views women’s bodies as property, to be hidden, controlled, and policed by the law, and the Hejab is symbolic of that power.

Erasure is rooted in my traumatic experience as an Iranian woman, where even a single strand of hair can mean life or death. Through repetition, the image connects to countless women who feel the need to conceal their identities. Dedicated to the millions forced to wear the Hejab for over 40 years, this work stands as a protest, a resistance, and a beacon of hope.

By sewing, embroidering, altering the images, and making self-portraits, I am transforming these moments of silence into a form of resistance. Each thread I weave represents the reclaiming of my story, my identity, and my voice.

Upon my immigration to the United States, I found myself intricately positioned between two disparate worlds, navigating the complexities of dual identities and divergent life experiences. This juncture has engendered a profound sense of emotional and identity ambivalence, wherein I am suspended between the tether of my country of origin and the dwelling where I currently reside.

Since I’ve arrived here, my studio practice has been dedicated to raising awareness of these horrific events, as the people in Iran are denied the media platforms needed to have their voices heard. More than half of the news from my country is either censored by the regime or silenced by foreign media.

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Fatemeh Fani (b. 1992) is an MFA student in photography at UW-Madison. Born in Iran, she currently lives in the United States. Fatemeh is a documentary photographer, researcher, and activist, with her research focusing on women, sexual minorities, and immigrants to express how in traditional societies such as Iran, these groups are deprived of fundamental rights and freedom of expression. As a recent woman immigrant to the U.S., she is documenting the essence of America through the lens of an outsider from an Islamic country with a distinct cultural background. Fatemeh is also working on personal archival photographs, aimed at challenging the concept of mandatory hijab and the stolen identity and humanity of Iranian women. Her intention is to raise awareness and draw attention to the prevailing restrictions, exclusions, and discriminations that affect a significant portion of her country's populace, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by women.