Alireza Shojaian

Alireza Shojaian is an Iranian painter and visual activist. Shojaian depicts his subjects nude or semi-nude in intimate and vulnerable positions. His work aims to fight societal prejudice against LGBT people while making space for non-heteronormative masculine identities. Shojaian did not feel safe in Iran, where un-closeted gay persons suffer from state-sponsored oppression and face execution. He has lived in exile in France since 2016.