Iran honors martyred artist Mansoureh Alikhani with Sarajevo exhibit
Iran opened an art exhibition in Sarajevo on Sunday showcasing the works of Mansoureh Alikhani, a painter martyred in an Israeli strike on Tehran in June, the Iranian cultural office in Bosnia and Herzegovina said.
The exhibition, organized by Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, features 20 paintings by Alikhani along with her biography in Bosnian and English. The works, sent to Sarajevo as part of a broader cultural diplomacy initiative, aim to spotlight the “crimes” of Israel during its military operations against Iran, ILNA reported.
Born in 1967 in the northern city of Noshahr, Alikhani earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in painting from Alzahra University and Soore University in Tehran. She later taught at Kashan University of Art, Soore Art School, and several private institutions. Her professional record includes solo and group exhibitions, book illustrations, festival jury service, and awards from national art competitions.
Alikhani was killed on June 15 during Israeli missile strikes on residential areas of Tehran, which Iran described as part of “an unprovoked act of aggression.” The attack drew international condemnation and fueled tensions between the two countries.
Iran had previously mounted a similar exhibit in Sarajevo, displaying images of children killed during a 12-day war. Cultural envoys say such efforts are meant to “bear witness through art” to the human toll of military escalation.