Kiana Honarmand

Studio U4A

Medium: Interdisciplinary

Through my life in Iran and now my identity as a South West Asia North Africa (SWANA) woman living in the United States, my work offers a commentary on sociopolitical issues. I create images, sculptures, and installations that illustrate my struggles related to my cultural identity and how it is perceived in my new home. Creating from a personal place, I am able to craft a space to share my experience with the viewer.

Incorporating different forms and materials, I talk about subject matters that have deeply affected my life and many others. Censorship from my youth in Iran manifests itself into images from art history that are obscured by Persian calligraphy and geometric patterns prevalent in Islamic architecture.  Often, the viewer is invited to participate in the act of censorship, while they themselves are faced with censored material. Through objects made from different materials such as cast iron, fabric, ceramic, light, and shadow, I address the violation of women’s rights in Iran such as mandatory hijab. Each material brings its own cultural and conceptual significance in relation to the piece.

Utilizing text to pay homage to the history of hiding critical commentary in Persian poetry and visual arts, my work employs politically-charged writings such as news articles, propaganda, or feminist poetry. The writings are subsequently transformed into patterns using the smooth curves of Persian calligraphy. While Persian text is associated with fear and terror in the current political climate of the Western world, these patterns take over the space to confront the viewer.

Artist Website