"Persepolis" author Satrapi is dead

"Persepolis"-Autorin Satrapi ist tot

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian-French author and illustrator best known for her autobiographical graphic novel "Persepolis," has died at age 56. Her death was announced by the Élysée Palace in Paris and Abbas Bakhtiari, head of the Iranian cultural association Pouya in Paris. Satrapi rose to international fame with "Persepolis," which chronicles her childhood in Iran, experiences of exile and migration, and the impact of political upheaval. She also co-directed the acclaimed 2007 animated film adaptation and created other graphic works such as "Broderies" and "Poulet aux prunes," while working as a film director and screenwriter.

Marjane Satrapi, "Persepolis" Author and Human Rights Fighter, Dies at 56

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian-French artist, director, and author of the acclaimed graphic novel *Persepolis*, has died at age 56. Her death was announced by the office of French President Emmanuel Macron on June 4, with no official cause given, though a close friend said she “died of sadness” following the death of her husband, Swedish producer Mattias Ripa, just over a year ago. Satrapi was best known for *Persepolis*, a graphic memoir about her childhood during the Islamic Revolution, which became an Oscar-nominated animated film and has been widely taught despite bans in Iran and censorship in some U.S. school districts. She also directed films such as *The Voices* and *Radioactive*, and in 2024 co-created the graphic essay collection *Woman, Life, Freedom* in response to the death of Mahsa Jina Amini.

Jerry Gogosian, the creator of the account that revealed the vices of the art system, has died. Found dead in a hotel

È morta Jerry Gogosian, la creator dell’account che rivelava i vizi del sistema dell’arte. Trovata senza vita in un hotel

Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, known online as Jerry Gogosian, was found dead in her hotel room in São Paulo, Brazil, on May 31. The 39-year-old artist and influencer had voluntarily shut down her popular satirical Instagram account in June 2025, which she had used since 2018 to expose the inner workings of the art world. Police discovered an empty vodka bottle and pills near her body; the cause of death remains under investigation.

È morto Michele Lanzinger: fondatore e primo direttore del MUSE di Trento impegnato per disegnare i musei del futuro

Michele Lanzinger, founder and first director of the MUSE science museum in Trento, Italy, has died at age 69 after a long illness. A geologist and anthropologist, Lanzinger led the transformation of the Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali into the landmark MUSE building designed by Renzo Piano, which opened in 2013 and became the most visited museum in Trentino. He also served as president of ICOM Italia from 2023 to 2025 and, after leaving MUSE in 2024, was appointed president of the Conservatorio 'F.A. Bonporti' in Trento and Riva del Garda.

Valentine Francis Willie, champion of Southeast Asian contemporary art, 1954–2026

Valentine Francis Willie, a prominent gallerist and curator known for championing Southeast Asian contemporary art, has died at age 71. Born in Sabah, Malaysia, Willie initially practiced as a lawyer before co-founding Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA) in Kuala Lumpur in 1996. The gallery expanded to Singapore, Yogyakarta, and Manila, and helped bring Malaysian and Southeast Asian art to international attention through exhibitions at the 1997 ASEAN Summit and participation in ARCO Madrid in 2002. After VWFA closed in 2013, Willie shifted to the nonprofit sector, co-founding ILHAM Gallery in Kuala Lumpur in 2015, where he served as creative director until 2020.

Martin Lister obituary

Martin Lister, a writer, teacher, and scholar of photography and new media, has died at age 78. He was a key figure in the study of how technology intersects with cultural ways of seeing, editing the influential book *The Photographic Image in Digital Culture* (1995) and co-authoring *New Media: A Critical Introduction* (2003). Lister served as head of the school of cultural studies at the University of the West of England (UWE) and taught at institutions including Cockpit Arts Workshop and Newport College of Art and Design.

Ben Morea, Principal Provocateur of 1960s Anarchist Group, Dies at 84

Ben Morea, an abstract painter and leading figure of the 1960s anarchist group Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers, has died at age 84. Morea sought to collapse the boundary between art and political revolution, using provocative actions and profane slogans to challenge both the art world and the establishment. He was loosely at the helm of the radical collective, which blended street theater, direct action, and anti-war protest in New York City.

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Whose Paintings Were Saturated in Black, Dies at 84

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, an artist and activist known for her monumental canvases saturated in the darkest pigments she could find, has died at age 84. Her work, deeply informed by her identity as a Black woman and her involvement in the civil rights movement, gained prominence for its bold abstraction and political resonance.

Charles Hinman (1932-2026): A Celebration

Charles Hinman, a pioneering American painter and sculptor known for his shaped canvases that bridged abstraction and three-dimensional form, has died at the age of 94. The article, published by The Berkshire Eagle, celebrates his life and career, noting his influence on the development of geometric abstraction and his long association with the Berkshires art community.

Jerry Gogosian Creator Hilde Lynn Helphenstein Dies Aged 40

Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, the artist, writer, and art-world commentator known for creating the satirical Instagram account Jerry Gogosian, has died in São Paulo, Brazil at age 40. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of her death. Helphenstein launched Jerry Gogosian in 2018 while recovering from a serious illness, using memes, market commentary, and sharp observations to critique art-world excess, social climbing, and institutional power structures. The account grew to over 150,000 followers and became one of the most influential digital platforms in contemporary art. She also hosted the podcast Art Smack, published The Jerry Report newsletter, curated exhibitions including a 2022 show at Sotheby's, and had recently announced plans to wind down the account to pursue new creative projects.

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian cartoonist author of "Persepolis," has died

È morta Marjane Satrapi, la fumettista iraniana autrice di “Persepolis”

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian graphic novelist best known for her autobiographical work "Persepolis," has died at age 56. Her family announced her passing in a statement to AFP, attributing her death to grief following the loss of her husband Mattias Ripa just over a year earlier. Satrapi, who lived in France for about thirty years, rose to international fame with "Persepolis," published in 2000 and adapted into a successful animated film in 2007. Born in Rasht, Iran in 1969 and raised in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and Iran-Iraq war, she later studied in Vienna and Paris, where she was introduced to the world of comics by artist David B.

The death of artist Luca Sivelli of the duo Moio&Sivelli. The memory of Luigi Moio

La morte dell’artista Luca Sivelli del duo Moio&Sivelli. Il ricordo di Luigi Moio

Luca Sivelli, half of the Italian artist duo Moio&Sivelli, has died at age 52. The news was shared by his lifelong partner Luigi Moio, who recounted their first meeting as children in Amalfi, their years at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, and their transformative Erasmus in Granada followed by a move to London in 1997. In London they lived in squats and collaborated with erotic performer Maus, whose shocking performances inspired their boundary-pushing work. The duo produced a feverish two-decade body of work blending video, performance, photography, and installation, often pulling audiences into ambiguous, erotic, and destabilizing situations.

Governor, First Partner statement on the passing of Doris Fisher | Governor of California

Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom have issued a formal statement mourning the passing of Doris Fisher, the co-founder of Gap Inc. and a renowned figure in the California art and business communities. The statement highlights her transition from a retail novice to a global business leader who, alongside her husband Don, expanded Gap into an international powerhouse with over 3,000 stores, driven by her keen eye for fashion and consumer needs.

Miami Graffiti Legend Eric Alan Hirt "Eson" Killed in Train Strike

Eric Alan Hirt, known as "Eson," a legendary Miami graffiti artist and member of the Miami Style Gods (MSG) crew, was struck and killed by a Brightline passenger train on May 13 near his home in North Miami. The 47-year-old was walking along the tracks in a designated "quiet zone" where trains do not sound horns; his wife noted he was partially deaf. Hirt gained widespread attention through a 2018 VICE documentary, where he was shown risking his life to tag highways and infrastructure, and openly embraced the label of "vandal." His death marks at least the 206th fatal Brightline strike since 2017, a line previously called the country's most fatal by the Associated Press.

‘Brother, mentor, and friend’: Beloved Stellenbosch-based artist Portchie dies at 62

Stellenbosch-based artist Jan Hendrik Viljoen, known as Portchie, died on Friday morning at age 62 after an illness. The artist, born in the Free State on 23 November 1963, was celebrated for his colorful, playful paintings and sculptures, and his work was exhibited at Trafalgar Square in London. He began painting as a hobby in 1991 and launched his full-time career after selling 100 paintings in one night at a 1994 exhibition, later operating his own gallery in Stellenbosch.