My Art Portfolio
My 2-dimensional art has primarily focused on my identity. Art connects me to my emotions. It is particularly engaging for me when I use it to explore my religion. Given that I am Zoroastrian, it was challenging for me to find my identity within the American culture. But today, I can express my relationship with Zoroastrianism by picking up a paintbrush.
Art has always allowed me to approach complex ideas, such as being half-Iranian, and half-German. It also serves as a way for me to explore my values. I create portraits in celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, as well as paintings of tales such as Chinvat Bridge, on which the souls of the dead travel along a bridge to enter the afterlife. I do this not only for myself but also to record my experiences to benefit a culture that is all too often overlooked.
My 2D Artwork
Cultural Metamorphasis: 2021
My self-portrait embodies the theme of my unique identity by showing the connection that I have to my ethnic culture and the people that surround me. I used the symbol of the pomegranate and its flowers, which are important to the Zoroastrian religion. It is used in most of our prayers, and it is also used in our altars as gifts to the dead, showing my connection to my ancestors. I also used more urban objects, such as the electric pole and traffic light to show that I was influenced by my time living in San Francisco. The butterfly with the eyes is to symbolize the change that I experienced while growing up in such a diverse city. That change is how I am connected to other people from the way that I observe them, and how they observe me. I chose to put the butterfly over my face to create a focal point, showing the strong influence of the people that I grew up with.
Still life study: 2022
Still life oil painting study during Yale Summer Session during ART S130 01 (SB22): Painting Basics with Professor Curiel.
Ameretat, Oil Pastel: 2022
This portrait is meant to represent Ameretat, the Zoroastrian Amesha Spenta, or angel, who is the protector of nature. In this painting, Ameretat has been injured by an arrow, a man-made object, showing the harm that people have done to the environment. Ameretat is bleeding out snakes from her wound; snakes are a wicked animal in Zoroastrian folklore, showing the wrongful things we have done to the environment. The Eagle and the flame, however, represent the hope that there is in the future, and that this injury can be healed.
Chinvat Bridge, Oil Painting: 2022
This painting is meant to recount the story of the Chinvat Bridge, the Zoroastrian afterlife. Anyone who dies must cross a long winding bridge to reach the afterlife. In my depiction, the bridge is winding around a celestial figure, where the bride enters into her mind, the afterlife. In the story, the bridge is guarded by a four-eyed dog. The dog is standing near the base of the figure’s feet.
Beetle, Oil Painting: 2022
This piece embodies the sacred connection that nature has in our world. The beetle, the centerpiece of the work, symbolizes the renewal of nature, and the repeating cycles within it, as beetles are intrinsic to natural cycles of life through decomposition. The use of circles throughout the painting and surrounding the beetle also symbolizes the repetitive cycle of nature but also represents natural perfection.
Portrait of Iran, Oil Paint on Canvas: 2022
This painting is meant to symbolize the people of Iran and what they stand for. The main focal point of the piece is the woman in the center, wearing traditional Qajar bracelets and jewelry, and holding a scissor to her hair, representing the historical and modern courage that women of Iran have. The composition of the piece is meant to represent the old Iranian flag, with the tree at the top for the green stripe, the red flowers at the bottom, and the Lion and Sun emblem that was on the flag pre-1979.
Guardian Angel, Oil Panting: 2022
This portrait is meant to show the guardian angel that guides us through life. The figure inside of the head is meant to represent the subconscious mind. The use of Persian and Zoroastrian textile designs in the background is meant to show the way that our lives are affected by our culture, and how those beliefs guide us through life.
Nowruz Self Portrait, Colored Pencil on Wood: 2022
This painting is a self-portrait meant to represent Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Throughout the painting, there are multiple objects, such as the garlic, apple pomegranate, and hyacinth flower, which are objects placed on a Nowruz table, a table that Zoroastrians put in their homes during the new year. I used the symbol of the butterfly on my face of myself to show the change that I go through every year. The two shooting stars are the Tištar, or the stars of Orion’s belt that appear during the time of Norwuz.
Rebirth, Oil Pastel: 2023
An oil pastel depiction of the rebirth through the eyes of youth, and the innate connection that humankind has to nature.
Nowruz, Oil Pastel: 2023
This oil pastel painting depicts a Nowruz Haftseen table, a table placed in the house during Persian new year. The table is adorned with eggs, candles, plants, and a bottle of rose water to represent items in the world that we are grateful for coming into the new year. The figure overlayed between the table's items is an angel, depicted in unrealistic colors to represent her otherworldly nature, protecting the items on the table.
Beetle, Oil Painting: 2022
This piece embodies the sacred connection that nature has in our world. The beetle, the centerpiece of the work, symbolizes the renewal of nature, and the repeating cycles within it, as beetles are intrinsic to natural cycles of life through decomposition. The use of circles throughout the painting and surrounding the beetle also symbolizes the repetitive cycle of nature but also represents natural perfection.
Fire Jumping, Oil Pastel: 2023
The oil pastels are used to create earthy colors and gestural, organic shapes for fire jumping tradition
Cycle of Life, Oil Painting: 2022
Mediums are playful and inherently talk about childhood and by proxy, our life cycle.
Exploits, Photoshop: 2024
I designed this poster, to highlight the often-overlooked issue of animal exploitation within the agricultural industry. My aim is to confront society's ignorance towards the suffering endured by animals, showing how society depends on them for convenient access to meat and poultry products. focused on the theme of animal exploitation in the produce industry. Using Photoshop, I created this piece as a collage, blending imagery and text
Spill, Photoshop: 2024
This poster that I created in Photoshop, casts a critical eye on the issue of water pollution, highlighting the severe impact that humanity's pursuit of natural resources has on the environment. The imagery is chosen to evoke a sense of urgency and to challenge viewers to consider the dire consequences of such actions on our planet.
Innocent Guardian, Pencil: 2024
In this pencil drawing I have chosen a child, engrossed in illustrations, her gaze fixed downward, blissfully ignorant amid a backdrop of turmoil. Surrounding her are animals in states of suffering, with explosions punctuating the scene, as symbols of the violence inflicted upon nature. The contrast is intentional, highlighting the innocence of youth and our collective ignorance of the cruelty that pervades our environment.
Fish Symphony, Oil Paint: 2024
This oil painting, which I crafted as a surreal self-portrait painted on wood, explores the complex theme of humanity’s dependence on nature. My focus is on an exaggerated depiction of canned fish, oversized to depict the unsustainable demands on nature. The hands are reaching out towards both the figures and the flying fish, almost to pull them down in an attempt to keep our way of life.
