Exhibition opening: The Night of Her Voice

Solo Exhibition - Saba Pouyeshman

The word Jahī originates from the Proto–Indo-European root gʷenh₂-—“woman.” This root appears across Indo-European languages: for example, in Sanskrit jánī (“wife, woman”) and in Greek gynē (“woman”). In its earliest sense, the word simply meant woman—untouched by judgment, neither sacred nor profane.

Over the course of the development of the Iranian languages, especially during the formative period of Zoroastrianism, its meaning gradually shifted from a neutral term to one carrying negative moral associations. In the Avesta, Jahī no longer means “woman,” but rather “the corrupt, lustful, or impure woman.” Over time, Jahī evolved from a moral concept into a mythic personality: a demoness, the primal whore who awakens Ahriman, the evil spirit, to destroy and pollute the world.

Jahi is a presence shaped by centuries of fear and fascination. She carries the weight of a tradition that turned the feminine into a site of danger, disruption, and stain. As a woman raised within a patriarchal, theocratic, and misogynistic regime, depicting her feels like defiance—personal justice, a quiet but relentless revenge. I rewrite her with my own blood, and I let her rise through me, screaming as loudly as she desires.

Exhibition runs from March 17th - April 10th

Opening March 17th at 18:30 (doors open 18:00) - Please take out free tickets.