Faceless Women and Portrait Multiplicity: Representation of the Self in Contemporary Iranian Women Artists' Self-Portraits

This article explores the representation of the self in self-portraiture, focusing on analysing the artwork of several contemporary Iranian women artists. It delves into how the Iranian government's enforcement of specific appearances for women, as part of shaping an Islamic identity, has compelled Iranian women artists to challenge conventional notions of women's self and identity in their self-portraits. The article demonstrates that the concept of “self” for these artists is not a singular or objective entity, but rather a collective construct. This research employs dramaturgy theory, a sociological framework that situates the self within the context of compliance with controlling social behaviors and religious laws aligned with the governmental political agenda. It aims to explore how Iranian women artists challenge political and women's rights issues in Iran’s society. This approach is explored through the concepts of “faceless women” and “portrait multiplicity”, emphasizing its unique approach to the theme of self-portraiture.