Early one morning in Tehran, artist Elham Issari received an unexpected phone call offering a single tube of white paint at a vastly inflated price. Faced with soaring costs and scarce materials, Issari found herself exploring how to make paint at home — a poignant example of the challenges confronting Iran’s visual artists today.

Since joint airstrikes and military operations by the United States and Israel began on February 28, Iran’s art community has encountered severe disruptions. The conflict, coupled with tightened economic sanctions, has forced the closure of galleries in central Tehran, canceled exhibitions, severed shipping routes, and effectively dismantled the fragile domestic market that supports artists’ livelihoods.

In response, a digital platform called Continuum: Artist Relief for Iran was established to connect Iranian contemporary artists with global audiences, collectors, and institutions. The initiative emerged from the efforts of Dario Duran, a Canadian-Iranian curator and founder of Duran Art Projects. Born in Shiraz and educated in Canada, Duran relocated to Iran six years ago to engage more deeply with its burgeoning art scene.

When the military strikes intensified, Duran and his family fled Shiraz for northern Iran, an area less affected by conflict. There, he encountered numerous cultural practitioners displaced by the escalating violence. Together with Mariam Rasti, co-founder of Duran Art Projects who had also fled Tehran, Duran began communicating with artists who were facing uncertainty, canceled exhibitions, and an inability to secure materials or income.

Iran’s contemporary art sector operates in a closed system, isolated from international banking and reliant on infrequent gallery sales to sustain artists for extended periods. With the collapse of this cycle, many artists confronted immediate financial hardship. “One artist put up his paintbrushes and paint tubes for sale on Divar just to carry on. Another said he would work in a coffee shop temporarily because he wasn’t sure if art would support him,” Duran said.

Recognizing the urgency, Duran initiated an open appeal to collectors, museum directors, and galleries worldwide. The response transformed a modest catalogue into a nationwide effort showcasing over 500 artworks by some 200 Iranian artists on the Continuum platform. Eleven domestic galleries waived their sales commissions, and no platform fees are charged, allowing artists to receive 100% of sale proceeds. To accommodate global buyers amid economic uncertainties, prices were capped at tiers ranging from $500 to $5,000.

Moving physical artworks out of Iran amid ongoing hostilities and sanctions has required complex logistics. Initially relying on domestic courier services to transport pieces to hubs in Dubai and Istanbul, the team adapted when regional airspace closures and canceled flights cut off these routes. Currently, a courier uses land borders through Armenia to export works internationally, ensuring they carry full insurance despite delays ranging from three to six months.

Continuum has attracted collectors from regions including North America and Europe, many demonstrating patience amid extended delivery times. Duran emphasized the broader impact of sanctions: they primarily burden ordinary citizens and cultural practitioners rather than influencing political dynamics. “These sanctions are not putting much pressure on the government; it’s mostly punishing everybody trying to live a life here,” he said.

Among the artists featured is 43-year-old Mehrdad Jafari from Mazandaran province. Speaking from Tehran via an interpreter, Jafari described his lifelong dedication to art, which he views as integral to his existence. As a father, his concerns extend beyond creative expression to the material challenges imposed by sanctions. “We have to be a lot more imaginative in deciding what materials we use,” he explained. While this fosters creativity, it also highlights the frustration of being cut off from global art networks.

Jafari views Continuum as more than a sales platform; it offers a crucial link to international audiences and sustains hope amid conflict. “It brings a sense of calm — that we are not forgotten,” he said. From the outset, Duran and Rasti stressed that Continuum would not exploit artists’ suffering as a thematic display but rather serve as a vehicle for genuine artistic survival and connection during a time of profound crisis.