Parnia Ossiani Marnani

Parnia Ossiani Marnani's work examines the colonisation of beauty in Persian culture through transformative metalwork. As a Persian woman, she uses her own image, deliberately risking vulnerability rather than exploiting others. Iran leads globally in cosmetic procedures, with women systematically rejecting inherited features. Brass patterns representing stigmatised characteristics hang over her half-concealed face, symbolising incompleteness imposed by self-rejection. The brooch features the hollow Persian protective eye (cheshm nazar), traditionally guarding against negative energy, here revealing rather than hiding the ‘flawed’ patterns beneath. Audiences recognising their own dissatisfaction witness shame transformed into cultural pride, addressing mental health and gender equality through participatory design.