ArtDayMe : According to the BAAT Cultural and Artistic Institute, the international publishing house Candle & Fog has undertaken the publication of the Iranian Women Painters book series.

This series introduces the works of nearly 300 Iranian women artists and narrates the history of women’s painting in Iran. It stands as the first comprehensive English-language publication on the role of women in modern Iranian painting.

After more than five years of research and extensive collaboration between the BAAT Cultural and Artistic Institute (For a Better Tomorrow) in Tehran and the international Martex Project, the Iranian Women Painters collection is now being globally released by the renowned Candle & Fog Publishing.

Candle & Fog is an Iranian–British publishing company with active offices in both Tehran and London. Over the years, it has published numerous literary and artistic works in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. By introducing Persian literature at international book fairs, publishing European translations of Iranian authors, and producing large-scale projects such as the full Spanish translation of the Shahnameh, Candle & Fog has established itself as a cultural bridge between Iran and the world.

The company has earned several prestigious international awards, including four consecutive honors at the FICEP Literary Festival in Paris, the Joseph Conrad Award in Poland (2017), and nominations for the Hans Christian Andersen Illustration Award and the Rochester Award.

Therefore, when the name Candle & Fog appears on the cover of an art book such as Iranian Women Painters, it signifies that the publication is not limited to Iranian libraries or galleries—it has been conceived and designed from the outset with an international audience in mind. The choice of this publisher ensures the book’s global accessibility and recognition.

The Iranian Women Painters Project

The Iranian Women Painters project is the result of more than five years of research, resource compilation, numerous interviews with artists, and the collective efforts of hundreds of contributors in collaboration with the BAAT Institute.

The first volume, now ready for publication, features 210 Iranian women painters. Two additional volumes are currently in preparation—one tracing the historical evolution of women’s painting in Iran, and another dedicated to 70 distinguished and influential figures among Iranian women artists.

Reaching the Global Stage

Although the content of Iranian Women Painters represents an important academic and artistic achievement on its own, its true significance emerges when it crosses borders and reaches global readers.

A pre-release edition of the book was unveiled on March 10, 2024, during a ceremony attended by artists and international scholars at the historic Steigenberger Hotel in Frankfurt and at the Iran–France Cultural Center in Paris. The event received widespread media coverage, marking a major milestone in the project’s research journey. Now, with the book’s official release on the global market through Candle & Fog, that journey reaches both its culmination and a new beginning.

Cultural and Global Significance

Iranian Women Painters is more than an art book—it is a sociohistorical document that illustrates how, over the past century, women have shaped the foundations of modern Iranian art despite numerous challenges and constraints.

Beyond narrating the story of women’s art in Iran, the book itself becomes a symbolic work—demonstrating how Iranian art and literature can find their rightful place to be seen and heard on the global stage.