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Edmonds College Art Department chair Audineh Asaf has a show, "Woman.Life.Freedom.," at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery on the campus of the University of Washington.

Asaf is joining other Seattle-based Iranian artists, Nakisa Dehpanah, Sadaf Sadri, and Parmida Ziaei, to highlight the plight of women living in Iran in a group exhibit themed "Art as Activism" at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery.

The exhibition runs through Feb. 24 and will be housed in the temporary gallery space in Room 212 of the University of Washington's Art Building.

Asaf, the chair of the art department at Edmonds College, said she created her body of work to amplify the voice and visibility of Iranian women who are bravely defying tyranny and protesting for their freedoms.

"I believe in the protestors and this movement in Iran, and I create work with a positive vision of the future for the Iranian people," Asaf said. "As the protests continue, I will continue to make art that represents these moments and honors the people taking a stand for their human rights and giving their lives for the rights of others."

For Asaf, the conflict in Iran is personal. Her father is originally from the country, and she still has family members who live there.

"When I look at the faces of the protestors, I see my dad, my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I have deep compassion for Iranians and an understanding of the oppression they've lived with under this regime, both women and men. I hope that the emotion I feel is communicated in this work and sparks a little more interest and empathy from those who don't have a direct connection with Iran and Iranians."