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# Continuum: Keeping Iranian Art Alive Through Crisis
- URL: https://gallory.net/blog/continuum-keeping-iranian-art-alive-through-crisis/
- Published: 2026-10-16T09:59:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-16T09:59:01.000Z
- Author: Majid Qaqazani

Oct 16, 2026 · @Majid

## When the studio goes quiet

This year, many artists in Iran have watched exhibitions cancelled, studios abandoned and savings disappear. War, displacement and years of sanctions have hit the people who make the country's art especially hard. Some have been forced to sell their own brushes and paint just to get by.

[Continuum](https://iranartistrelief.org/?ref=gallory.net): Artist Relief for Iran was created as a response. Launched in August 2026 by [Duran Art Projects](https://duranartprojects.com/?ref=gallory.net), a Canada-based curatorial platform, it brings the work of more than 200 artists living and working inside Iran to collectors around the world. The project was co-founded by collector and curator [Dario Duran](https://www.instagram.com/duranartprojects/?ref=gallory.net) and curator [Mariam Rasti](https://www.instagram.com/mariamrasti/?ref=gallory.net), who has spent more than a decade working with emerging Iranian artists.

The model is simple and generous. Participating galleries across Iran have waived their commissions, so every sale goes in full to the artist. Because artists inside Iran cannot reach international payment systems, sales are processed from Canada and the artist is paid locally. Works travel rolled and unstretched, and buyers are asked for patience: delivery can take three to six months.

## Why it matters

For an artist in Iran, reaching a buyer abroad is rarely just a matter of talent. Payments are blocked, shipping is uncertain and the currency can lose value between a sale and the day the money arrives. Continuum takes on that burden so artists can keep working.

> What makes the project stand out is that it refuses to turn hardship into a sales pitch. Rasti has described it as a conscious effort to avoid "trauma marketing". The works were chosen through a careful curatorial process, and together they span generations, cities and very different artistic languages. Instead of one neat story about contemporary Iranian art, collectors meet many voices. [https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/oct/14/iran-art-scene-continuum-dario-duran-interview](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/oct/14/iran-art-scene-continuum-dario-duran-interview?ref=gallory.net)

That matters well beyond any single sale. It gives artists income at the moment they need it most, a place in international conversations, and a reason to keep making work. The project also draws on a wide network of support, from galleries in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashhad, Kashan and Rasht to partners abroad. In short, Continuum is about continuity: making sure that a difficult year does not become a lost chapter in these artists' careers.

## A familiar name on the list

We are especially proud to see [Shafaq Shokri](https://app.gallory.net/@shafaqshokri?ref=gallory.net) among the artists selected for Continuum. Shafaq also has her own atelier here on Gallory, where you can explore more of her work and follow her practice.

Seeing her included in a project of this care and reach is a reminder of how much strength and talent continues to come out of Iran's art community, even in the hardest of times.

## With our warmest wishes

We wish [Shafaq Shokri](https://app.gallory.net/@shafaqshokri?ref=gallory.net) every success with Continuum and in all the work still to come. And we send our sincere thanks and best wishes to Dario Duran, Mariam Rasti and everyone behind Duran Art Projects. May Continuum reach even more collectors, and may it keep Iranian art moving forward.

You can learn more and see the works at [iranartistrelief.org](https://iranartistrelief.org/?ref=gallory.net).

*Further reading:* [*The Art Newspaper*](https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/08/31/online-platform-continuum-connects-iranian-artists-collectors-abroad?ref=gallory.net) *·* [*Garland Magazine*](https://garlandmag.com/?p=42347&ref=gallory.net)