Artist Spotlight: Tatyana Fazlalizadeh

Meet Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, half-African American half-Iranian artist and political activist. She’s recently picked up a lot of press for her public works, including her most successful campaign, Stop Telling Women to Smile. 

The project involved portraits of women with quotes about their experiences or empowering phrases, such as “My outfit is not an invitation” or “No, you can’t talk to me for a minute.”

According to the project’s website, it is an “on-going, travelling series and will gradually include many cities and many women participants.” It originally began in Brooklyn in the fall of 2012. 

Fazlalizadeh’s portraits have reached Paris and Mexico City so far, and a successful Kickstarter campaign allowed her to make prints that reached cities all over the United States. Her work encapsulates the beauty and strength of minorities living in the United States, as well as their struggles and oppression.  

Definitely check out her website here, and read more about Stop Telling Women to Smile here!