The tale of the (fe)male sun

The Tale of the (Fe)Male Sun tells the story of the rise and fall of hierarchical beauty standards in Southwest Asia and North Africa through mythologies, anecdotes, history, Qajar paintings, handcolored photographs, with cassette and vinyl covers. What rises from the pages is the story of how a little star in the cosmos transformed into an almighty sun, both female and male. In their light, nonbinary gender expressions in painting, music, and dance flourished, nurtured by the desire of royals and artists. But over time, the gendertranscending sun came to be eclipsed by a new, faceless sun. Now in the shadows, but not forgotten, the (fe)male sun occasionally sneaks out from behind the faceless sun – like in this book – reminding us of their former glory. All in the hope that one day, we will greet this sun again, like an old friend shining by our side.

Afrang Nordlöf Malekian (b. 1995) is an Iranian-Swedish artist based in Berlin and Stockholm, who through storytelling explores how entanglements between precolonial, colonial, and migratory cultural forms in hand-colored photography, social dance, Iranian pop music, and mythology can transform into evasive, flexible forces that advance collective endeavors.

Nour Helou (b. Lebanon) is a cultural worker, writer, and film programmer curious about the ways we relate to each other, working across Lebanon, Sweden, and New York.