Elnaz Masrour

US-based Iranian visual artist, illustrator and educator Elnaz Masrour leads ART MAKER Issue 2 with her cover work, “Climate Change”, pictured below.

She tells us about her practice in her interview:


ART MAKER: How do you see your illustration work interacting with the current social or political climate? Do you feel a responsibility to address these issues in your work?

ELNAZ MASROUR: My work connects creativity, research, and teaching, often exploring feminine subjects and themes of gender, identity, and social awareness. As a woman who grew up under systemic gender discrimination imposed by the Islamic Republic, my practice reflects lived experiences of inequality and social restriction. Recent protests in Iran reveal how deeply people are striving for freedom and bodily autonomy. While I may not be able to fight on the streets, my art becomes a tool for resistance, one that conveys messages, challenges imposed norms, and amplifies silenced voices. I believe art acts as a bridge between artists and society, with the power to influence public consciousness and raise awareness. Through my illustrations, I question stereotypes and laws justified in the name of religion that continue to shape and limit women’s lives in Iran.


Read more of Elnaz’s powerful interview in >> ART MAKER Issue 2.

ABOVE: Elnaz Masrour, Not Yet Home, Home Illustration Series, 2025, Digital Illustration, 10 IN X 10 IN

BELOW (ISSUE 2 COVER ILLUSTRATION): ELNAZ MASROUR, CLIMATE CHANGE, 2025, DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION, 11.25 IN X 9 IN