The International Center of Photography (ICP) presents Panjereh, the first solo exhibition in New York by Iranian-American artist Sheida Soleimani. The show expands on her ongoing Ghostwriter series, which intertwines her parents’ escape from Iran following the 1979 revolution with broader questions of geopolitics.
Rather than working in a documentary style, Soleimani creates surreal visual worlds where memory, political reality, and personal symbolism converge. A central motif is that of injured migratory birds—captured in striking close-up and inspired by Soleimani’s own work as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. The birds serve as metaphors for forced migration, vulnerability, and resilience—reflecting both her family’s journey and global narratives of displacement. She describes her work as an act of resistance: “I make art to speak truth to power,” Soleimani says in an interview with the German Kunst Magazine.
Curated by Elisabeth Sherman, the exhibition features over 40 works, including new analog photographs and a site-specific wall drawing. Soleimani’s visual language combines political research, familial memory, and a deeply rooted ethic of care—offering a powerful, contemporary approach to how stories of history are told and preserved. Elisabeth Sherman is currently the Senior Curator & Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York, a position she has held since January 2023. Prior to that, she served as a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art from 2010 to 2022.
Sheida Soleimani : "Fear and uncertainty are feelings Iranians know too well. Panjereh holds many of those memories—of my maman and baba navigating the tremors of revolution, the collapse of one regime, and the rise of another. Transcribing and recording their stories has become part of my life’s work—something I’ve always felt called to do: to speak truth to power, and to ensure their histories are not forgotten.
I’m incredibly proud of this exhibition, and excited to finally share it with the world. I couldn’t have done this without @elisabethfsherman, who brought sharp insight and deep care to every stage of this process. Her support and challenges pushed the work further than I could have imagined. And @sasickow —thank you for championing this project through every twist, last-minute decision, and impossible deadline. Your trust meant everything. Deep gratitude also goes to the brilliant team at @icp, especially the install crew, who brought such joy to the install process— something I have never found joyful until this moment.
Panjereh is up through September. If you’re in the city, come spend a moment with my maman and baba—and the birds that move between their stories. And in the meantime, please don’t look away from what’s happening in Iran. We don’t want war. We don’t want dictatorship. We want freedom. Azadi, azadi, azadi. â¤ï¸ðŸ”¥"
Soleimani’s work is held in permanent collections including the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, MIT List Visual Art Center and Kadist Paris. Her work has been recognized internationally in both exhibitions and publications such as The New York Times, Financial Times, Art in America, Interview Magazine, and many others. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Soleimani is also an Associate Professor of Studio Art at Brandeis University and a federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Sheida Soleimani – „Panjereh“
19. Juni – 28. September 2025, ICP New York