Nazila Jahangir

Nazila Jahangir is a painter from Tehran, Iran, who holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Alzahra (2011). In 2019, she relocated to Australia to pursue a Master of Fine Arts (Research) at the University of Western Australia.

Raised in Iran, a country with a rich literary tradition, Jahangir developed an early affinity for storytelling—an element that continues to underpin her artistic practice. After moving to Perth, she found inspiration in the city’s expansive natural and public spaces, using them as backdrops for narratives that traverse the personal and the universal. Her work often merges realism with elements of magical realism and surrealism.

Jahangir is celebrated for her technical mastery of oil painting and her ability to infuse her compositions with a sense of whimsy that captivates the viewer. Her paintings invite layered interpretation, engaging audiences through poetic imagery and conceptual depth.

Since arriving in Australia, Jahangir has rapidly gained recognition in the contemporary art scene. In 2022, she won the National Emerging Artist Award at the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize and held her first Australian solo exhibition, Forget-Me-Not, at UWA Cullity Gallery. A prolific artist, she has been a finalist in numerous awards and has participated in several group exhibitions. Most recently, she received third prize in the 2025 City of Stirling Art Award, and her April 2025 solo exhibition Immigration at Stala Contemporary received outstanding feedback.

Her works are held in various private and public collections, including the St John of God Health Care Art Collection and the City of Stirling Art Collection.

Image: @mephisto.phelest