Shamiran Istifan

Shamiran Istifan develops her art from fragments of memory and the present. Drawing on personal experiences and influences, she works with images and visual codes from everyday life, condensing them into multilayered constellations. In doing so, she opens up new perspectives on social and societal relationships. Shamiran Istifan’s first monographic publication is both an archive and an artist’s book. Images of her works and exhibition views are complemented by texts and artistic elements created specifically for the book. Alongside a poetic short text by the artist, two essays—by Afghan-German artist, curator, and author Moshtari Hilal, and by Sarah Mühlebach, curator of the exhibition—situate Istifan’s work within artistic and sociopolitical contexts. Moshtari Hilal’s essay explores themes including cyborgs, bodies, and the ghosts of the past. Sarah Mühlebach focuses on the liminal states and moments of transition that shape Shamiran Istifan’s work. Shimmering nail designs, created and staged by Shamiran Istifan together with her sister Rakhel Cemikyan, embody a gesture of touch that is both physical and symbolic, while adding a touch of glamour to the publication. Shamiran Istifan (1987 in Baden, lives and works in Zurich) is the recipient of the 2026 Manor Art Prize Aarau. Awarded every two years to support emerging Swiss artists, the prize includes a solo exhibition at Aargauer Kunsthaus.