Words and artistic direction by Sepehr Badiei
Translated by Hiba Moustafa
Photography by Morgan White
Modelling by Dafni Krazoudi and Sarah Q.
Shoot assisting by V. Chan
Makeup by Jinny Kim and Kevin Cordo
Styling by Maximilian Raynor, Sebastien Kwok and Shannen Maria Samuel
Shoes design by Natacha Marro and Luca Bosani
Retouching by Helen Bykova and Elizabeth Derby
CGI art by Paula Jakubiak and Ai Hui
This article is a supplement within the “The Wawa Complex” issue

While leaders are committing genocide
Or being complicit, enabling the world into a war…
Stop asking for global human rights support.

Either human rights matter universally or not at all.
Freedom is incomplete until there’s freedom for all.

Poem One, #FreePalestine 

Beneath the weight of history
My Tears flow.
Let us not turn away from sorrows of life,
Indigenous hearts whose voices are pure.

their cries echoes of pain beneath our skies

Palestinian souls seeking solace and grace.

Where do spirits linger?
When bodies are found,
Olive trees weep on lives lost and our hearts in ache.
Yet, we stand,
We raise our voices.

For liberation,
for justice,
for every soul we say CEASEFIRE NOW. 

For freedom and equality,
we all bravely fight.
In their struggle, we find our light ignites.

Decolonization must start for peace to bloom
for all to grow.

Poem Two, #WomenLifeFreedom

In a world devoid of art,
Her beauty labeled as sin
Can’t restrict her essence
from yearning to shine.

Her spirit consumed by fire,
Fasting for a day of sweetness.
For each strand of hair, a reminder
of oppression.

Pain.
By
pain,
Followed by your vice & virtue.

Ache.
By
ache,
Loss of tears.

Illusion.
By 
illusion, 
Losing your power.

beware the fire of hell.

Her radiance shine, a story to tell,
A new day of Divine will rise,
Liberated spirits,
challenging outworn traditions.

And yet, hope never fades.

Her spirit will soar
Where Beauty will be restored.
In dreams, she chants,
Woman Life Freedom.

Poem 3, The Curse (Nefrin)

In a world where beauty parlours are banned,
Why restrict the freedom to express, to 
understand?
Why deny her rights, her choices, her flair?
New life restrictions, a path to despair.

For each strand of hair, 
life’s whip will sting,
Barred from her love and tender touch it will bring.

Bound by rules of vice and virtue,
Freedom lost, future unknown,
Remember, resilience will rise.

Seeking liberation, where beauty never dies.
With these unjust deeds,
you risk burning in the fire of 
hell, you will see. 

Her glow illuminates,
soaring above.
In dreams, she’s chanting
Woman Life Freedom.

Iranian women’s determination, resilience, and fearlessness in the face of brutal oppression is the inspiration behind a photographic series by queer artist Sepehr Badiei. “I envision beauty as a potent medium,” says Badiei, who hopes this work will ignite public curiosity and encourage others to learn more about what is happening around the world. Badiei and their family escaped Iran during the revolution, eventually moving to New Zealand as a refugee. They left school at the age of fourteen to pursue their passion for hairdressing, and hair now forms a central component of their artistic practice. Sourcing their material from a global roster of women and transwomen, Badiei creates otherworldly installations that weave together a resolute belief in equality and an avant-garde aesthetic sensibility. Their latest series, photographed by Morgan White and set to appear plastered on city walls in a collaboration with the wildposting team at UNCLE, is based on two key motifs from Persian culture. Model Sarah Q personifies the cypress tree, which represents life and rebirth. Bathed in blue light and surrounded by hair-wrapped branches, Sarah’s calm and commanding energy makes the case for world-wide female unity. Emerging from a crimson glow, Greek dancer and model Dafni Krazoudi harnesses the power of fire, a purifying force in Zoroastrian traditions and sacred for Assyrians. Dafni’s agility and fierce strength echoes the qualities of women defying tyranny, persecution, and suppression. “My intention is to challenge simplistic Western perceptions of Iranian women, forging a connection between the people of my homeland and the global community,” says Badiei. The posters, which will launch August 13, emphasise the importance of freedom—of expression, of movement, of every individual to live their life as they choose.

-Words by Zoe Guttenplan