TEHRAN- A group illustration exhibition titled “Together for Iran,” featuring more than 80 works by 64 illustrators from different Iranian cities, will open at Tehran’s Book Garden on Thursday evening.

Organized by Ketabara Group in collaboration with Soore-ye Omid Institute and Book Garden, the exhibition is the outcome of an open call inviting artists to reflect on recent events and the experiences of Iranian people during the war.

The selected works explore themes including homeland, resilience, resistance, courage, social solidarity, the national flag, experiences of war, the future and hope. The artists have also addressed the funeral processions held for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and the public’s participation in bidding farewell to the country’s heroes and martyrs.

A special section of the exhibition, titled “Angels of Minab,” is dedicated to children and students who lost their lives in the war. Through a human-centered approach that seeks to go beyond geographical boundaries, the section presents artists’ responses to the suffering of children and the devastating consequences of armed conflict.

The Minab tragedy took place in southern Iran during the Ramadan War, when an attack struck a school in the city of Minab, resulting in the deaths of a number of students and teachers. The incident drew widespread attention and prompted artistic and cultural responses commemorating the young victims and reflecting on the impact of war on civilians, particularly children.

In recent months, the memory of the Minab children has also been reflected in exhibitions and other cultural events in Iran and abroad, with artists using visual art as a means of remembrance and as a call for greater attention to the human cost of war.

The organizers of “Together for Iran” also seek to preserve the collection as part of the contemporary visual memory of the country. Alongside images of suffering and loss, the works highlight hope, solidarity and the resilience of Iranian people during difficult times.

A four-day illustration workshop will also be held alongside the exhibition under the supervision of Mahboubeh Khosravi, a professor at Shiraz University and an illustration instructor who has conducted specialized workshops in Iran and other countries. The workshop will provide an opportunity for practical training, artistic exchange and discussion of illustration.

The exhibition will open at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Negarestan of Tehran’s Book Garden. Artists, students, art and book professionals, and illustration enthusiasts are expected to attend the opening.

The participating artists include Arezou Masouminia, Akram Sadat Mirtavana, Azam Vazehi Moqaddam, Asma Karbaschi, Esmail Cheshrokh, Elham Bayat, Parisa Dehqanan, Dorsa Adineh, Reyhaneh Ansari, Reyhaneh Zendeh-Boodi, Reyhaneh Kamali, Zeinab Ebrahimi, Zeinab Nazari, Zahra Akhlaqi, Zahra Athamkhani, Zahra Khadem, Zahra Khamseh, Zahra Dafnuk, Zahra Rashidi, Zahra Sadat Mousavian, Zahra Mohammadnejad, Sara Mostaghasi, Sara Najafi, Sahar Rezaieh-Zad, Sahar Farhad Ravesh, Saeideh Farzin, Somayeh Mohammadi, Seyyed Meysam Mousavi, Seyedeh Zeinab Shabbar, Soudeh Sheida and Saba Allahyar.

Other participating artists include Tayyebeh Mohammadiari, Arefeh Torabi, Asal Hazeqi, Ghazaleh Sarrafian, Faezeh Bahman-Abadi, Fatemeh Baqai, Fatemeh Taslimi, Fatemeh Tayyoub, Farshid Moaierifar, Fahimeh Jafari, Leila Taheri, Leila Badr-Azimi, Mandana Karimi, Mohammad Ziari, Mohammadreza Doost-Mohammadi, Mohammad-Hossein Salavatian, Mohsen Mohammad-Mirzai, Mehdi Badieh-Peyma, Mehdi Sarkani, Mansoureh Mohammadi, Mahnaz Saberpour, Marzieh Sadeqi, Maryam Dabbagh, Mikail Barati, Najmeh Aqakhani, Narges Khorrami, Narges Tavana, Nastaran Lashkari-Azad, Nafiseh Siavash-Moqaddam, Neyyereh Sadat Mehri, Noushin Bijari, Vahid Khatami and Hajar Salimi-Namin.

SAB/