Beyond the Black, Brown and Gold: Mixed Media

Artist Statement

My work focuses on issues related to my cultural identity, especially the violation of women’s rights in Iran, censorship, and surveillance. These issues have greatly impacted my life and many others. My work also addresses the Western perception of the Middle East, especially Middle Eastern women. Growing up in Iran, I felt stuck between tradition and modernity, as did many other people in my generation. Iran had already become westernized before the 1979 revolution changed the culture to a more religious and traditional one. My studio practice is influenced by my status as female growing up in Iran, who is currently living in the United States. I am interested in the history of Western art and Persian art, and in my work, I merge the imagery of my past with my new cultural environment. In my installations, I utilize text as a way to reference the history of hiding critical commentary in Persian poetry and visual arts. My work includes politically charged text such as news articles, Islamic Hadith or feminist poetry, which is subsequently transformed into pattern using the smooth curves of Persian calligraphy. These pieces are a commentary on a contemporary issue related to women’s rights in Iran. I am a conceptually based artist. In the process of creating my work, I make all my aesthetic and technical decisions based on my concept and ideas. I use different digital fabrication technologies such as Laser Cutters, CNC Routers, 3D Scanners and 3D printer, in combination with more traditional methods of craft.