Quotes from Shirin Neshat

There is nothing negative about a group of people crying out for democracy - and if my voice counts, I will be vocal.

I'm really interested in social justice, and if an artist has a certain power of being heard and voicing something important, it's right to do it. It could still be done in such a way that it's not aggressive or overly didactic. I'm trying to find that form.

Every Iranian artist, in one form or another, is political. Politics have defined our lives.

My father was a doctor, but he was what I would call an intellectual - very well-read and very interested in knowledge. He insisted that I get as much education as my brothers.

I believe we don't need to widen the divide between the West and Islam. Rather, we need to build dialogue to encourage tolerance and respect.

To me, editing is not something you can do in a rush because the artists themselves are not always their own best editors. Time is absolutely everything.

I think of myself, an Iranian/American artist, and wonder what would I want if I'm ever imprisoned by the Iranian government for the work that I make? I answer: I would hope that the United States government comes to my rescue.

I really am a strong believer that with editing, it should take a long time. Even you yourself are not capable of making the right decisions; sometimes you need a distance.

I believe and support the feminist movement, but I am not generally interested in considering women's rights in relation to equality with men, or in a competition with men, but rather within their own rights and feminine space.

Life could be more meaningful if we find the compassion to open our minds and our eyes to other people's issues and see if we can expand our love and care for people beyond our immediate family.

Every Iranian artist dreams of the black market. We don't care about making money.

My mother is my last point of security in relation to my past, and if that breaks, I will not ever have that type of pure love or pure attachment.

I find that through the study of women, you get to the heart - the truth - of the culture.

Magical realism allows an artist like myself to inject layers of meaning without being obvious. In American culture, where there is freedom of expression, this approach may seem forced, unnecessary and misunderstood. But this system of communication has become very Iranian.

Being political is an integral part of being Iranian. Our lives are defined by politics.

Art is our weapon. Culture is a form of resistance.

Art is no crime. It's every artist's responsibility to make art that is meaningful

I'm an artist, I'm not an activist.