The motivation for the series is the death of 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in Tehran after she was arrested for opposing the mandatory hijab. The tragedy on 16 September 2022 sparked a wave of protests across Iran and ignited the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution, with countless people taking to the streets with protest signs and slogans.
In the Netherlands, Iranian graphic artist Saber sat glued to the news with helplessness. One slogan caught his attention and he wrote it down. The next day, he did it again. Documenting slogans in a typographic way had a calming effect and made him feel like he was doing something. With this work, Saber wants to convey an important message: democracy, freedom and our core values are not gifts: we have to fight for them.
The posters contain powerful content and a message that is still relevant today. The themes of democracy and freedom are universal and must continue to be told. With this series, we want to share a story that touches and hopefully strengthens the conversation about these topical issues. Never before has the series been seen in this scale. For Saber, it is a moment of recognition for his dedication and hard work.
Photo by Edwin Wiekens
Graphic artist Saber Javanmard (1985, Urmia, West Azerbaijan, Iran) lives and works in The Hague. He explores the boundaries of graphic design, typography and painting, using letters as his artistic starting point.
