News Center — Jila Hedaiei is considered one of the most prominent figures in visual arts and illustration in Iran, having produced works throughout her career that combined painting and collage in a unique visual style inspired by the worlds of women, childhood, and imagination.

Iranian artist and painter Jila Hedaiei passed away today, Friday, August 7, in Tehran. She had dedicated many years of her life to illustration and visual arts, and succeeded in developing a distinctive visual style combining painting and collage techniques, giving her works a symbolic and dreamlike character.

Jila Hedaiei drew her themes from women and girls, childhood memories, dreams and fantasies, and the search for identity—themes that consistently appeared in her paintings. Her works were characterized by dark backgrounds, simple figures with symbolic presence, and the integration of collage elements with painting in a way that gave her works visual depth and layers of meaning.

She was also active in the field of children's book illustration, collaborating with a publishing house and contributing to the development of this artistic field with her distinctive style. In 2014, her works were selected to be among three Iranian illustrators accepted for participation in the Bologna Children's Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition in Italy—a prestigious international event in which 75 artists were chosen from over 3,000 applicants.

She also participated in the 50th edition of the International Biennial of Illustration "Golden Pen" in Belgrade in 2019, as part of a group of Iranian illustrators selected to represent their country in this important artistic event. Among her works sent to Taiwan was a painting depicting a young girl escaping into an imaginary world; this piece garnered notable attention and was featured on a Taiwanese art blog as an example of creativity in illustration.

Her participation in international exhibitions and events—from Bologna to Belgrade—formed an essential part of her artistic career, through which Jila Hedaiei conveyed through the language of images stories of women, childhood, and imaginary worlds to a wide audience both within Iran and beyond.