Art History in Iran: The Role of Research and Art in Social Justice

As an Assyrian-American who is researching the art of Assyrian minorities in Iran, Ryan will present on the experiences of writing his thesis in graduate school. He will discuss how to research in the field of art history and Iranian studies in general, the relevance of art for social justice, the history of Assyrian minorities in Iran, and what it’s like to ask family members about vulnerable stories from back home in Iran.

Ryan Nazari is a candidate for the MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford, having previously earned a BA in English and Philosophy at Santa Clara University and served as a Fulbright grant to teach English to university students in Yerevan, Armenia. He is currently researching Assyrian paintings in 20th-century Iran and is the sponsor for the Rotary Global Grant from San Rafael Harbor to fund his graduate school research. He loves to run, listen to jazz music, and cook pasta.

This presentation will be delivered via Zoom from St Antony's College in England.