Nazanin Afshar

Born in Isfahan, Iran, in 1977, Nazanin Afshar grew up in a rich artistic environment that situated two architectural wonders: the Chehel Sotoun Palace and the magnificent Nagsh-e-Jahan Mosque. Nazanin quickly saw her destiny in art, particularly in pictorial creation. Choosing this path, however, obliged her to leave her hometown for Tehran, which is 300 kilometers south of Isfahan.

Nazanin first took interests in photography at the University of Azahra, and then graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in painting at the University of Azad in 2000. She continued her academic training by attending a fellowship program lead by renowned Iranian artists such as Ahmad Vakili and Hannibal Alkhas. This allowed her to better master her techniques and to complete her quest for a personal unique language. In 2005, she moved to Montreal to continue her free exploration of various themes.

Having grown up around the time of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, Nazanin has since created a body of works in which her principal subject focuses on the condition of women in her homeland. With a specific interest in the contemporary history of women, she depicts the constraints that envelop women’s life in Iran. Her approach prioritizes introspection with forms and colors that unveil embodied and internalized pain. She received the First Prize at the University of Azahra in photography and has participated at several exhibitions in Tehran and Montreal since 1997. She now teaches painting at her Montreal studio and pursues her search for a painting career that is sincere and without compromise.

Photos

 

Photo by Nazanin Afshar

Photo by Nazanin Afshar

Photo by Nazanin Afshar

Photo by Nazanin Afshar