The Iranian Jewish community in the U.S. has long looked down on their children pursuing careers in the arts or entertainment. Yet a new generation of young Iranian Jewish professionals in the last decade have gone against their family’s desires and pursued their dreams of being artists and creative forces in their own rite. One such Iranian Jewish artist making waves is New York-based Josephine Mairzadeh whose work was recently exhibited in the popular “Light and Shadows” exhibit at UCLA’s Fowler Museum in Los Angeles.
Her work is indeed unique because it combines objects from the ancient Jewish culture of Iran with the Persian culture of Iran, showing the beauty of both worlds. Her lastest piece featured at the Fowler is a photograph printed on Kodak Metallic Paper and coated with an optically clear glossy laminate. The images of fruits in her photograph were taken from paintings she had hand painted beforehand.
The following is a brief interview I had with Mairzadeh during the opening of the “Light and Shadows” exhibit at UCLA…click here
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