TEHRAN- "For Iran" group exhibition is currently hosting art enthusiasts at the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF), serving as a vital platform to support visual artists whose livelihoods have been strained by the recent Ramadan War.

The 10-day event, which opened on Monday, spans all major galleries of the forum, including Bahar, Tabestan, Paeez, Zemestan, Mirmiran, Momayyez, and Nami, ISNA reported. 

Featuring over 300 diverse artworks, the initiative aims to provide both spiritual encouragement and financial relief to the creative community, with all sales proceeds going directly to the participating artists.

A highlight of the event is a series of specialized calligraphic painting workshops. The first session was held on Monday evening, featuring artists Kiarash Yaqobi, Peyman Peyravi, Abbas Seifabadi, and Anita Ashrafi, who engaged in live demonstrations and face-to-face dialogues with visitors.

Two more sessions are scheduled to follow. On Thursday evening, Gholamhossein Altafi, Parisa Darabi, and Mojdeh Mirpanj will host students and enthusiasts. The final workshop will take place on Friday with a lineup including Hossein Norouzi, Behrouz Kiani, Allahyar Khoshbakhti, Barbod Yazdani, and Rouhollah Hosseinzadeh.

The organizers, the Institute for the Development of Culture and Art, emphasized that supporting creators is an urgent necessity in these times. "Creativity must continue even when the cost of art supplies, like the cost of bread, has soared due to the war," they noted.

The exhibition remains open until May 23. The upcoming workshops are free and open to the public at the IAF premises on Iranshahr Street, offering a rare opportunity for students to learn from contemporary masters without prior registration.

The US-Israeli aggression against Iranian soil that happened during the holy month of Ramadan has left deep scars on Iran's cultural landscape, with several prominent art centers and historical venues suffering significant structural damage. Cultural hubs in Tehran and border provinces, which once served as the beating heart of the nation’s creative expression, have faced unprecedented disruption due to proximity to targeted areas or direct impacts. 

Iconic institutions, including community theaters and private galleries, have been forced to shutter their doors, while larger venues have had to pivot their missions toward emergency support and preservation. The physical destruction of these spaces represents not just a loss of architecture, but a temporary silencing of the vibrant dialogue between Iranian artists and the public.

Beyond the crumbling walls of galleries, the war has exacted a grueling toll on the artists themselves, many of whom have seen their livelihoods vanish overnight. The economic blockade and the soaring costs of essential supplies have made professional tools—such as imported pigments, canvases, and brushes—as prohibitively expensive as basic necessities, effectively stalling the work of a generation. 

Numerous members of the artistic community have been displaced or have suffered personal losses, yet they continue to create amidst the ruins, using their craft as a form of spiritual resistance. Despite the immense pressure, the resilience of Iran’s creators remains steadfast, though the damage to the nation’s artistic infrastructure and the loss of private collections will require a monumental effort of reconstruction in the post-war era.

SAB/