javid nam
A brave and decisive act brought the life of Mohammad Jabbari to an end.
During the protests on January 8, 2026, in the Mesbah neighborhood of Karaj,Iran when a group of protesters fled from security forces and entered a building, Mohammad Jabbari stood by the door so others could have a chance to escape. Moments later, he himself was targeted. The forces broke into the building by force, beat him, and then shot him at close range in the head and body.
Mohammad Jabbari, 39, lost his life after being transferred to Ghaem Hospital in Karaj, without any effective effort being made to save him. Friends remember him as an energetic, humorous, and kind person who quickly connected with others. Alongside his work as a driver at Mehrabad Airport, he was trying to build a stable life and cared deeply for his family.
When I decided to paint this real scene, I did not yet know his name. At a time yet now internet access in Iran has been cut off for god knows how long, this video managed to circulate under exceptional circumstances across social media, passing from hand to hand. Millions of Iranians in the diaspora, along with people around the world, were brought to tears repeatedly by the scenes of Iranians being killed on January 8 and 9.
I chose, instead of merely speaking or sharing images, to use the only medium I truly have-painting- and to express myself through the language of imagery. In this work, angels are depicted in fear, weeping and watching in shock. They do not intervene in the mortal world, yet they stand on the side of truth.
This is the story of Iranians; a generation rooted in the legacy of Pasargadae, seeking the lost grandeur of the Achaemenid era in the modern age, striving for prosperity and freedom. Their voices, along with the voices of all those who struggle for freedom, will not be silenced; rather, they will grow louder and more powerful in unity.
