Entertainment · Books & Arts · 3 hrs ago
Iran war pushes artists into crisis as relief initiative seeks buyers abroad
Since US and Israeli airstrikes began on 28 February, Iran's artists have faced lost income and disrupted work as galleries closed and exhibitions were cancelled.
The conflict also damaged shipping links and made it harder for artists to find materials.
Many artists rely on occasional gallery sales to cover living costs and keep working, while Iran's art scene is cut off from international banking networks.
Canadian-Iranian curator Dario Duran and co-founder Mariam Rasti created Continuum to connect artists in Iran with international audiences and buyers.
The initiative comes as artists struggle to pay rent, and some have sold their materials to get by.
It aims to help sustain artists and Iran's contemporary art scene through sales to collectors and institutions.
US and Israeli airstrikes and combat operations in Iran have pushed visual artists into economic and professional uncertainty.
The conflict shuttered galleries in central Tehran, cancelled exhibitions, disrupted shipping and damaged Iran’s domestic art market.
Canadian-Iranian curator Dario Duran and co-founder Mariam Rasti launched Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran.
The initiative connects artists living and working in Iran with international audiences, collectors and institutions through an online platform.
Artists have struggled to obtain materials and pay rent as exhibitions and sales have dried up.
- Who
- Visual artists living and working in Iran, and the founders of Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran.
- What
- The initiative connects Iranian artists with international audiences, collectors and institutions to help them reach buyers.
- When
- The airstrikes and combat operations began on 28 February. The article was published on 14 October 2026.
- Where
- Iran, with the initiative seeking international audiences and buyers through iranartistrelief.org.
- Why
- War disrupted galleries, exhibitions, shipping and the domestic market, leaving artists without income and access to materials.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The US and Israel launched joint airstrikes and combat operations in Iran.
Galleries in central Tehran shut, exhibitions were cancelled and shipping channels were severed.
Dario Duran and Mariam Rasti launched Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran.
- Conflict began
- 28 February
- Initiative
- Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran
- Platform
- iranartistrelief.org
- Founders
- Dario Duran and Mariam Rasti
- Paint tube price recalled by Elham Issari
- 5m tomans, about $36
1 source
What people are saying
We realised that at this moment, exhibition making, curation, archiving – these things do not matter. What matters, more than anything else, is simply sales.
One thing we saw over and over again was that, like never before, the artists were losing hope.
I was displaced,
I was like, I don’t think so, because that’s overpriced, and the next thing you know is it’s 4am and I’m on YouTube watching how to make lead white in your backyard without getting lead poisoning.