Farideh Lashai was an Iranian painter, videographer, and writer known for her lyrical depictions of nature. She began learning painting at the age of ten from Jafar Petgar. After graduating from a translation school in Munich, she moved to Austria and continued her education at the Vienna Academy of Decorative Arts. Her work in crystal design during this period culminated in an exhibition in Milan in 1967.
Lashai returned to Iran in 1972 and exhibited her paintings for the first time at Seyhoun Gallery the following year. Since then, she has held numerous exhibitions in Iran, Germany, the United States, and other countries. In addition to her visual art, she translated works such as Bertolt Brecht's "The Good Person of Szechwan" and Edita Morris's "The Flowers of Hiroshima" into Persian. She also wrote an autobiographical novel titled "The Jackal's Shadow." In 2001, Lashai co-founded the Dena Group with prominent artists including Gizella Varga Sinai and Farah Osuli. This group of Iranian women artists aimed to present their works independently and, over six years, showcased the art of many Iranian women both domestically and internationally.
Nature is a dominant element in Lashai’s paintings, characterized by loose lines, rhythmic curves, and wide color spots to express a lyrical representation of nature. In an interview with Ahmad Reza Dalvand, she remarked, "Nature has had and still has an extraordinary attraction for me, not as a category unrelated to me and outside of me, but nature in relation to human inner struggles and as answers to emotional conflicts and questions—perhaps ontological ones."
Lashai's approach blends an oriental perspective with a new expression imbued with social sensitivity. Her work goes beyond capturing the essence of nature; she symbolically incorporates her social positions and feelings, resulting in poignant and sometimes dark images. Her social and political concerns, influenced by her experiences in Munich's artistic circles, are reflected in her paintings, animations, and installations. Mojabi noted the human aspect of nature in Lashai's works: "Nature is not just a tree, a flower, and a mountain for her; it is the surrounding universe that is interpreted through human presence and interaction."