‘I must continue until I die’: inside the fight to bring Iran’s thriving art scene to the world
Amid economic sanctions and ongoing conflict, a new initiative is returning Iran’s artists to the international spotlight When the call came early one morning, Tehran resident Elham Issari knew it must be urgent. The voice on the line was offering something precious. “Miss Elham,” he said excitedly, “I have a single tube of white paint! It’s overpriced and I know it’s overpriced but, if you want it, you have to buy…
Key points
- Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran connects artists inside Iran with international buyers after war halted galleries and sales.
- More than 500 artworks by over 200 artists are listed, with all sale proceeds going to artists.
- Eleven Iranian galleries waived commissions and prices are capped at up to $5,000.
A new online platform called Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran is connecting contemporary artists living and working inside Iran with international audiences, collectors and institutions. The initiative was created after joint US and Israeli airstrikes and combat operations began on 28 February, shutting commercial galleries in central Tehran, cancelling solo exhibitions and cutting shipping channels.
The project was founded by Canadian-Iranian curator Dario Duran, 38, and Mariam Rasti, co-founder of Duran Art Projects. Duran said he was displaced by the war and fled Shiraz with his visiting parents, later meeting dozens of other displaced cultural workers in the north of the country.
How the platform works
Continuum brings together more than 500 original artworks by over 200 contemporary artists living and working inside Iran. Eleven commercial galleries across the country agreed to waive 100% of their sales commissions, and Duran Art Projects charges no platform fees, so all proceeds from each sale go directly to the artist.
Prices are capped across three tiers: up to $500, $500 to $2,500, and $2,500 to $5,000. Duran said the logistics are changing hourly, with couriers moving artworks overland into Armenia after flight connections through the UAE were cancelled. Buyers are told delivery may take three to six months.
There is a difference between giving artists visibility during a crisis and asking artists to make the crisis visible
— Dario Duran
Artists describe the impact
Tehran artist Elham Issari, 38, said a single tube of white paint was offered to her for about 5m tomans, or roughly $36. She said the platform creates a chain: if an artist is less worried about income, they may keep teaching, and children can keep learning.
Mehrdad Jafari, 43, said materials are hard to find and artists are replacing them with imagination. He said Continuum gives him hope that life can carry on, adding: "I must continue until I die."
