Political Prisoner Holds Art Exhibition Inside Iran's Evin Prison

A political prisoner held a one-day art exhibition inside Tehran’s Evin Prison on Sunday, displaying 50 abstract paintings he created in five days using limited materials.

Morteza Parvin, an Azeri civil activist imprisoned in Ward 7, organized the exhibition in honor of all political prisoners and dedicated it to Taher Naghavi and Vadood Asadi - two prisoners on hunger strike since October 27 - as well as to the families protesting outside the prison.

Several political prisoners, including Abolfazl Ghadyani, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohammad Najafi, Taher Naghavi, Siamak Ebrahimi, Shahriar Barati, Motaleb Ahmadian, and Mohammadreza Faghihi, spoke at the event about artistic resistance in prison.

Parvin has previously held exhibitions inside Evin Prison, including displays for International Workers’ Day and International Women’s Day in 2024.

Those exhibitions featured paintings and a sculpture of a headless Shirdal, a symbol from Iranian mythology.

After a group of prisoners was transferred to Fashafoyeh Prison this summer, he organized an exhibition on the theme “No to Violence.”

Before his arrest, Parvin faced repeated security pressure for his civil and artistic activities.

Unable to obtain permits to display his work publicly, he held underground exhibitions in homes.

Parvin, who works in calligraphy and performance art, was arrested in February 2024 in Ardabil by Intelligence Ministry agents and transferred to Evin Prison. He is currently serving a five-year sentence.