I’ve dedicated this blog to the
artist Shirin Neshat. She is an Iranian artist that I have taken particular
interest in as she uses her artwork effectively as a form of media in
communicating with her audience. She captures me as an artist because of the
powerful messages she is able to convey in all her pieces by connecting her
audience with the images she creates along with the techniques she uses in order
to do so. In particular, I find her photography intriguing and the Arabic calligraphy
that she incorporates into her pieces adds a great depth to the meaning of each
piece.
In
1974, at the age of 17, Shirin left Iran and moved to America in order to
complete her education. In 1979, Iran had its Islamic Revolution, which
prevented her from visiting Iran for about 20 years. Personally, I almost feel
as if Shirin being exiled was somewhat bittersweet. I would never want to be
stopped from visiting the country I was born and raised in, but Shirin used
this longing to be in Iran, the love for her country along with her conflicting
feelings of the Iranian government and the way Iranian women are treated, in
order to create such powerful pieces that leave strong impressions on her
audience.
(214 words)