Photography as Resistance: Between Imprisonment and Freedom in Kiana Hayeri

Abstract

This article presents a critical analysis of six photographs by the Iranian-Canadian artist Kiana Hayeri, whose documentary work focuses on the representation of women in contexts of sociopolitical vulnerability in Afghanistan. Particular analytical attention is given to two of these: one portrays women in conditions of incarceration, while the other depicts a group of women lined up to receive humanitarian aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an examination of the visual compositions — including framing, body expression, gestures, setting, and context — as well as a consideration of the social, political, and religious environments in which the images were produced, the study proposes a reflection on the symbolic and subjective layers embedded in the photographs. The theoretical framework draws on the studies of Walter Benjamin (1994), who discusses the function of photography, and Jean Baudrillard (1981/1991), who introduces the notion of “simulacrum” and explores the boundaries between representation and reality. From these perspectives, a paradoxical inversion between freedom and imprisonment is observed: the incarcerated women appear to experience a certain sense of relief by being distanced from external social pressures, whereas the women outside prison, although formally free, exhibit signs of oppression and control, arising from sociopolitical and religious structures that shape their lives. The study thus highlights a dichotomy in the experiences of freedom and imprisonment, questioning how the photographic image contributes to the construction of meaning and the reproduction of cultural norms. Through documentary photography, Hayeri reveals not only the material living conditions of these women but also symbolic and affective dimensions that challenge traditional narratives about gender and freedom. The article concludes by underscoring the critical role of the image as a means of resistance and a tool for interpreting power relations that permeate women’s everyday lives in contexts marked by structural inequalities.