Artist depicts Iran woman who stripped in protest by consulate

A mural depicting the Iranian woman who stripped in protest was painted at the Iranian Consulate in Milan, the artist shared in an Instagram post on Sunday. 

Artist Alexsandro Palombo, who describes herself on Instagram as a “contemporary pop artist & activist, focusing on pop culture, society, diversity, ethics & human rights,” painted the woman depicted in her underwear using the colors and design of the Iranian flag. 

Ahou Daryaei stripped off her clothes last week in protest after she was allegedly assaulted for improperly wearing her hijab by security members at her university. 

Following her protest outside the consulate last week, she was arrested by Tehran’s security forces in violation of the strict modesty laws, according to international media reports. 

On social media, artist Palombo captioned the artwork, "Her gesture is profound, her sacrifice is disruptive, Ahou Daryaei invites us to spread the message through her body and to carry forward the cry of freedom and courage of Iranian women. A warning not to turn away, to fight together with them so as not to be accomplices and indifferent." 

Public reactions 

Others have vocalized their support for Daryaei, including the IDF's Farsi account, who posted on X/Twitter, "We are witnessing one of the most powerful revolutions in history.

“A revolution in which women are no longer willing to sit silently in the face of the violation of their dignity and their basic rights by a handful of brainwashed...and libertines of the system."

Meanwhile, officials claimed that Daryaei was suffering from "severe mental pressure and had a mental disorder."

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said in reaction to the event,  "Instead of viewing this issue under a security lens, we are rather looking at it with a social lens and seek to solve the problems of this student as a troubled individual."