The Sin

The Sin presents a solitary female figure suspended between exposure and concealment. Her body turns inward, arms folded tightly across her torso in a gesture that is both protective and restrained. A blindfold covers her eyes, denying vision and agency, suggesting imposed silence, judgment, or the internalization of shame.

The warm, bruised tones of the flesh contrast with the luminous yellow ground, evoking sanctity and accusation at once, light that does not liberate, but scrutinizes. Dark, wing-like forms hover behind her, ambiguous in nature: they may suggest angels, burdens, or the weight of moral expectation pressing against the body. The decorative border frames the figure like a relic or an icon, recalling religious imagery while quietly subverting it.

Rather than depicting sin as an act, the work frames it as a condition placed upon the female body, something inherited, assumed, and endured. Vulnerability here is not weakness but resistance: the figure does not perform guilt, nor does she plead. She remains closed, self-contained, and unresolved, holding tension between punishment and self-possession.

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Maryam Attar Bashi is a Melbourne-based visual artist specialising in immersive installation and expanded painting practices. Born in Ahvaz, Iran (1981), she relocated to Australia in 2005, where she pursued her studies in graphic design at Enmore Design Centre and later completed a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design at Deakin University.

Maryam has recently completed her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at RMIT University, marking a significant evolution in her practice from graphic design to contemporary fine art. Her work focuses on creating immersive environments that explore themes of feminism, activism, diaspora, and the socio-political realities of her homeland, Iran.

Drawing from personal experience, Maryam critically engages with issues surrounding women’s rights, gender inequality, and the impact of religious and cultural systems. Her practice often incorporates self-representation as a performative strategy, positioning herself simultaneously as subject and creator to express lived experiences of displacement, resistance, and resilience.

Working across installation, painting, and drawing, her projects confront dominant narratives and challenge entrenched gender stereotypes. Through layered materials, symbolic elements, and spatial interventions, she constructs emotionally charged environments that invite reflection on identity, power, and freedom.

Maryam has exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions and is recognised as an award-winning artist.