Art influenced by Persia has always been intriguing and we are delighted to feature in this issue Shirin Moayya who was born in 1972 in Tehran, Iran. She mastered in English Teaching in 2001 and became involved in art by mostly painting got into photography in 2007.
Shirin has done various solo and group exhibitions, art festivals, painting symposiums in Iran, UK, United States, UAE, Georgia, Turkey, France in different categories such as drawing, painting and photography.
Her artistic style includes Abstract Expressionism, Abstract Figurative, Expressionism, Illustration while her techniques range from the use of Acrylic, Ecoline Ink, Gouache, Chalk Pastel, Oil Color, Chiaroscuro, Pen-Ink Drawing, Pencil Drawing, Collage and Ink Painting. We get more information on her about her artistic journey.
When did you begin making Art?
Actually, I have always loved making new things with my hand. When I was 22, I started sewing and designing on my own, especially between 1994 and 1998. Since 2002, I started drawing with charcoal, pastel and finally painting with oil color the landscapes and portraits. From 2007 to 2012, I did many courses to become a professional with a four-year drawing and painting course. In 2014, I attended a complete course of modern and contemporary art history and since then I am painting professionally and taking photographs occasionally.
What does your work aim to say?
My artworks consciously distort reality to make it clear that what we see on the canvas is not the reproduction of an object as it appears, but how I feel about it by concreting my inner perceptions. I force the viewer to live in my skin and my own sensations, without the possibility of seeking refuge in anesthetic digressions.
Who are your biggest influences?
My professors were the most influential people in my artistic life
What inspires you?
Generally speaking, the whole life is the manifestation of God in the universe which inspires me most of the time.
What’s your favorite piece of artwork that you have created ?
I love all my art works but the one that is called “Good Times” from mirror of fantasy series is my favorite.
How do you work and when do you feel most creative?
I engulf the world and transfer it into my soul and then return it in a transfigured vision like a hallucination populated by objects-bodies, which seem to stagger and then settle into a new mysterious equilibrium.
I feel most creative when I am alone, I connect to the source of existence and expand art with my inner feelings and emotions towards the world around me.
What is your most important artist tool? Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?
I usually paint with some brushes in different sizes in a clean and white palette not to remember any sketches from previous artwork. And I do not depend on any special conditions to paint , other than I always enjoy bird’s singing and nature which motivates me to work.
How do you know when a work is finished?
Considering aesthetic issues, whenever I feel the best about the artwork means that it is finished.
What’s your most Embarrassing moment?
The most embarrassing moment is when we don’t know whether we are in a route to success or not. People don’t perceive a piece of art work and interpret it as if they are expert and master of all. Furthermore, the cost of being a worldwide artist in my country is stunning for the exchange rate of US dollar and the sanctions. We have to bear a lot of burden in order to be able to continue our artwork.
Have you sold any of your artworks? How?
I have sold an artwork in a group exhibition in SHIRAZ city, even though I have participated in so many exhibitions and events locally, internationally and online. I was a bank employee and I had income to pay for the art so I did not sacrifice the creation process for the taste of the market and collectors.
If you could live your life over again, would there be any thing you would do differently?
I tried to keep my work , life and interests in line with each other and make money accordingly.
How do you promote your art on the internet?
I promote my art via Instagram, Facebook , website but I don’t know anything about the business part of the promotion.
What are you trying to convey to viewers through your art?
My art works focuses on the emotional and spiritual experiences of reality which is translated into an expressionist pictorial language.
If you have a job besides being an artist, can you tell us about it?
I was a bank clerk and painted part time. Now I am retired and a full-time artist.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
It needs a lot of hard work and patience, love, time, energy and many sacrifices to be an artist.
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