This is piece is special. it wasn't created as a tattoo stencil. It's not a reflection on the story of anyone. It was work on paper I drew a few years ago. It was later exhibited in Taiwan and Paris.

At some point, I received an email with the photo above. In the email, a person who preferred staying anonymous told me that she got the piece tattooed in Tehran, despite the Iranian ban on tattoos. She didn’t want to mention her name, nor the name of her tattooist.

I later learned that tattooing has never been explicitly forbidden by law in Iran, but it has faced increasing scrutiny and opposition from conservative elements and authorities over the years. Tattooists often spend time in prison for tattooing, even though it isn’t officially forbidden.

Despite all this, tattooing as well as a whole bunch of other "un Islamic" activities, seem to flourish in Tehran, which has been described as "the most secular city in the Middle East” by many, including the Iranian journalist and author Hooman Majd. In his writings and interviews, Majd has described Tehran as having a secular atmosphere, despite the country's strict Islamic laws and governance. In the privacy of their homes, people party, drink alcohol, have sex before and outside marriage. Some of the art from Tehran I have been exposed to is not less radical, controversial and contemporary than what I see here in Berlin. And nowhere else in the Middle East are more sex reassignment surgery performed than in Tehran.

I love that, because I grew up fearing everything from Iran. We had the feeling that the middle ages were not over, over there. Being a touch with people whose lives prove me wrong gives me help for humanity.