Shirin Neshat awarded the 2015 Farhang Heritage Award

Farhang Foundation has announced that the recipient of the 2015 Farhang Heritage Award is Shirin Neshat.

The Iranian-born artist will be recognized for her “enrichment of society through her extraordinary artistic contributions to the world” at the 5th Annual Farhang Foundation Fundraising Gala on November 7, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California.

Born in Iran and educated in the U.S., Neshat became a critically acclaimed international artist following her groundbreaking Women of Allah photography series in the 1990s. Neshat’s body of work is perhaps most renowned for both its stunning visuals and its exploration of the role of women within the constraints of misogyny and religion. In 2010, Neshat was named Artist of the Decade by Huffington Post’s G. Roger Denson.

“Shirin Neshat possesses an unrelenting desire to explore the marginalized aspects of the human condition,” said Dr. Hooshang Pak, Farhang Trustee and Chair of the Farhang Heritage Awards Committee. “As an Iranian artist, her work presents her findings in truly striking and thought-provoking ways, and in doing so, she helps make the world a more enlightened and empathetic place. We are honored to recognize Ms. Neshat’s artistic contributions and look forward to seeing the fruits of her tremendous talent for years to come.”

Since 2009, Farhang Foundation has presented the Farhang Heritage Awards to talented and renowned individuals in recognition of their unparalleled contributions to Iranian studies and culture. Past recipients have included Professor Ehsan Yarshater, Professor Richard Nelson Frye, Professor Amin Banani, poet Simin Behbahani, scholar Iraj Afshar, Professor Hossein Ziai, Professor Abbas Milani, filmmaker Bahram Beyzaie, architect Houshang Seyhoun, and the culinary “guru” Najmieh Batmanglij.

For more information on the annual Farhang Heritage and Lifetime Achievement Awards, visit Farhang.org/Heritage.