Soufia Erfanian is a Berlin-based artist—also working between Tehran and Paris—whose painting and drawing examines the intersections of systemic oppression and self-expression, particularly in relation to marginalized bodies. Shaped by experiences of displacement and the negotiation of identity beyond normative frameworks, Erfanian explores how relational structures transform during times of rupture and redefinition. Memory, trauma, femininity, and the construction of affection and collective love form the foundation of her practice, operating both as a means of self-inquiry and as a transformative process that confronts and processes past experiences to create space for reflection and healing.

Erfanian has recently presented at numerous institutions and galleries, including the 17th Biennale de Lyon, Kindle Contemporary in Berlin, and Strasbourg’s Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain (MAMC+). In challenging conventional perceptions of gender, desire, and belonging while embracing fluidity as a site of resistance, her work acts as both a personal and collective reckoning.

Image by Parisa Shirvani