Shirin Neshat (b. 1957, Qazvin, Iran) is a New York-based artist working across photography, video and cinema to examine gender, power, religion and exile. Her breakthrough series Women of Allah and twin-screen installations such as Turbulent and Rapture brought international acclaim; her feature Women Without Men won the Silver Lion for best director at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. She continues to exhibit widely while directing films and large-scale multimedia projects.