Sarah Rahbar is a Iranian artist who works both in Tehran and New York. Rahbar has said that she doesn't identify as a Muslim, but her Iranian background and the events that occure in her homeland influence her as an artist.
She frequently addresses subjects that deal with political issues and current events: themes of identity, nationalism and borders feature prominently in her work.
One of the materials Rahbar uses most frequently in her work is flags. She dislikes the way flags divide and separate people, creating artificial borders and isolation and making people feel they are different from others in distant countries. In herOppression Series, Rahbar is “exploring ideas of national belonging, as well as the conflicting role of flags as symbols of ideological and nationalistic violence.” Countries, cultures, and diversity are major forces in the world today. According to the artist, “we have made our personal identities so important and supreme above all. We believe that it is our countries, our nationalism, our religions, our cultures, our beliefs and so on, that make us who and what we are.” The result that Rahbar sees is the dividing, separating, and labeling of individuals.
-Women Arab-American Artist
No comments:
Post a Comment