When Punk Rock and Hijabs Collide
An Iranian-American Artist's Veiled, Metal-Studded Self-Portraits
In the 1980s, punk rockers wore black leather jackets dotted with metal, pyramid studs to signal their rebellion and toughness. Today, those studs are a popular fashion embellishment found on everything from designer high heels to inexpensive T-shirts. They’re also—in the hands of artist Roya Falahi—creative fodder to explore politics, music, and identity.
“Study of Studs,” an exhibition of Falahi’s work at the Vincent Price Museum at East L.A. College, includes a series of studded and masked self-portraits. After covering a hijab and mask in hundreds of studs, Falahi photographed herself …