Spanning over eight decades of artistic production, this curated selection from The Farjam Collection brings together 27 works by artists from the region, both men and women. From the historical echoes of Qajar-inspired photography to bold contemporary interventions in pop culture, sculpture, and digital media, these artworks collectively challenge reductive stereotypes and open up a dialogue about identity, memory, resilience, and resistance.

Rather than offering a single narrative, Shifting Gazes invites viewers to reflect on multiple perspectives and cultural constructions of womanhood. Who gets to define the female image in art? How do artists subvert or reinterpret these portrayals? And what new roles are women beginning to occupy—as subjects, storytellers, and visionaries?

Organized across four thematic sections—Identity and Visibility, Personal and Emotional Landscapes, Tradition, Modernity, and Cultural Memory, and Social Commentary and Critique—the exhibition positions the female figure as both a mirror of social transformation and a force of cultural agency.

Curated by Amir Arvand, this timely exhibition reflects The Farjam Foundation’s ongoing commitment to fostering critical dialogue through art, and to highlighting the diversity of voices shaping the cultural fabric of the Middle East.