On this episode of Women on the Line we speak with Iranian-born, Narrm based, visual artist and fine art photographer, Ramak Bamzar, about her show Pro Femina. Pro Femina is currently being exhibited as part of the Ballarat International Photo Biennale at the Art Gallery of Ballarat until 22 October this year. Her show features new works which comment on women involved in the Iranian uprisings of 2022, as well as selected works of her photograph series Moustachioed Women and Rhinoplastic Girls. We discuss themes such as Iranian culture and aesthetics, beauty in brutality and brutality in beauty and Iranian women’s resistance and fight for freedom.

Ramak Bamzar (born. 1980) is an Iranian-born visual artist and fine art photographer based in Narrm (Melbourne), Australia. Her work explores how cultural and religious norms can shape women's beliefs, values, and behaviours and influence their sense of self-worth and agency.In her works, Bamzar also investigates the influence of the male gaze on women's beauty and fashion and its consequences on women's self-esteem and self-image. Women who do not conform to these restrictive beauty standards may feel pressured to conform, leading to feelings of inadequacy, shame, and low self-esteem. Bamzar completed a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art– Photography in Tehran and her Master of Fine Arts from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in 2022.