Zohreh fled Iran in 2012. She was working as a stewardess for an airline and had come to the attention of the authorities after complaints about her hair showing. Not long after she was hosting an art exhibition in a friend's apartment which included bude portraits - a little more than a lock of hair! As the Basij banged on the door Zohreh escaped through a window, climbed down the building, and boarded a plane. 

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She came to Australia by boat and was sent to Christmas Island.

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Zohreh joined the church not long after arriving in Australia, and found a deep sense of community and connection. She joined our Omid group (Persian for hope) where she learned English, shared in meals and study, and most importantly built lasting connections and friendships.

 

In June '25 we celebrated her permanent residency, a journey that took 13 years. 

She brings the same hope, grace, joy, and perseverance to us as she does to her life and art.

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Zohreh’s artwork draws on her Persian heritage and her life experiences, including her refugee journey from Iran to Australia. For Zohreh, art is transformative. She personally experienced the power of art to bring hope and a new sense of purpose during some of life’s darkest moments.

Zohreh also saw firsthand art’s ability to bring transformation to others, in Christmas Island immigration detention. With some paint and brush, she added colour and life to the plain walls of the centre. She also transformed old instant noodle cups, shoes and other everyday items into something beautiful, much to the delight the children.

One theme that often recurs in Zohreh’s artwork is her reflections on the value of freedom, not just physically but mentally. The darkness in these paintings are held in tension with elements of sky, light, and intricate Persian carpet motifs, to signify the seeds of transformation and hope that Zohreh believes are contained in art, and in life.

 

​​You can find more about Zohreh and her art here.​