«I experienced pain in my family and my close relationships, people going to jail and not coming back. I was born into this chaos of uncertainty» – Farshad Farzankia on politics and movement in Iran
Farshad Farzankia living under the Islamic regime in Iran
Farzankia spent the ten first years of his life in Iran, living under the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Islamic regime that was set after the revolution of 1979. «I experienced pain in my family and my close relationships, people going to jail and not coming back. I was born into this chaos of uncertainty». Some night, as the alarms were ringing in the street, he and his family had to hide in the basement.
In kindergarten as his parents had to work late, Farzankia got put in a drawing class after school. A first connection to artistic endeavors. It’s around the age of seven-year-old when his parents took him to a children’s film festival to see The Runner (1985) by Iranian director Amir Naderi, that Farzankia truly got amazed. «I didn’t know what inspiration was or what art was until this. It took me away from my reality». The impact of the cinema experience, with its expansive screen and powerful sound, left a lasting impression, etching the movie deep into his memory.
Farshad Farzankia’s past: painting and graphic design in Denmark
A couple of years later, Farzankia family managed to escape and moved to Denmark where they have stayed ever since. As a teenager cinema kept on obsessing him. And in grad school Farzankia decided he wanted to become a movie poster designer. «I was collecting them and cutting them up to make collages in my room», explains the artist. He thus engaged in a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication and ended up working as a graphic designer for fifteen years.
On the side, Farshad Farzankia always had a painting studio where we would go before or after his work. «The studio was always kind of like a second job» explains the artist. In a natural and organic progression, the hierarchy between his two endeavors shifted in his mind: painting took precedence as his primary focus, while creating movie posters became secondary. «Something happened inside of me, I begin to have an understanding of what I wanted to do and slowly, I fell in love with the art I was making», explains Farzankia.
Farshad Farzankia and the context of the Black Lives Matter movement
Mixing different materials, using oil sticks on wood panels, acrylic on A4 paper or oil paint on canvases, Farzankia has always been creating with what was around him. As a child he would draw with what was accessible to him: «I used to find material on the streets like wood panels and small pieces of chalk. These are the techniques that I’m familiar with». Despite having honed his artistic skills in art school and throughout his graphic design studies, he continued to rely on acrylic paint, partly because he would frequently stumble upon house paint discarded in the streets.
When questioned about his preferences for colors, Farzankia elaborated on his affinity for falling in love with a distinct color during each phase of his life. «There’s a deep understanding of colors that we cannot fully express, because looking back at it, it kind of tells about the state I was in my life in a profound way », said the painter explaining having focus on creating solely black paintings in 2020, influenced by the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and the unfolding COVID-19 crisis during that period.
«I believe that colors are a language that is almost like the way we don’t understand what a dog or a bird says but we have a connection to it», said Farshad before adding «And if we manage to tap into colors, then it’s much more profound». In his creative process, colors are a responsive element that enters only after the foundational structure of a painting has been established. That is why, he initiates his work with a single color and then gradually introduces additional hues, guided by the dynamic energy generated by preceding choices. «I’m trying not to think about what colors to use. It’s about letting go of your mind and keep falling in love with what you’re doing. I never go the other way around», explains Farzankia.
The symbolism behind Farzankia’s tribute to the Women Life Freedom Movement of Iran
Currently on view at the SOCO Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, is Farzankia’s She Rose exhibition, a title that is drawn from Emily Dickinson’s poem, «She Rose to his Requirement». Farzankia’s admiration for the author’s resolute and defiant nature has long served as an inspiration. «I’m living in an uncertain time right now as my mind is obsessed with what’s going on in Tehran», said the painter, the poem’s theme aligning with his commitment to the Women Life Freedom Movement, — a community of Iranian members dedicated to offering healthcare assistance and advocating for the human rights of women in Iran. Farzankia explains: «it’s simple words put together. But I had a strong connection to those two words because it shows the ability of a woman or a man to rise up, while connecting strongly to nature».
She Rose, Farshad Farzankia at SOCO Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina
In She Rose with Melodies from the Garden, an abstracted female figure holding a musical instrument is depicted with bold lines and areas of color, rising above a loosely painted garden scene with roses. Farzankia created a real symbolic vocabulary, with for instance cameras representing his passion for film or shoes symbolizing migration. Farzankia’s artistic process is driven by the people, animals, and objects that captivate his attention in his daily experiences. He initiates his creative journey with numerous swift black-and-white sketches to explore various concepts, eventually focusing on those that truly intrigue him.
In the piece entitled Spirit road – it will be ok, a woman wears cherries as earrings, something that reminds Farzankia of his childhood in Iran, when the kids used to play dress up but did not have any toys. «It’s a profound image because it shows the basic human connection to nature. It’s also a hopeful image, because it represents a universal thing. It’s not about Iranian boys or girls. It’s about everyone», said the painter.
Delving further into floral symbolism and abstracted representations of the human face for this series, while in keeping with the exhibition’s title, the word ‘rose’ takes on both a literal and metaphorical significance in numerous pieces.
The rose hunters – Farshad Farzankia: the hero of the street
«They shot people in the eyes, to leave a mark so that they became a sort of scapegoat for other people to see the consequences one could face for taking part in protests», explains the Iranian painter. Thinking about this heinous practice, he came up with the image depicting a hunting man rendered in a simplistic stick figure style, with a single large eye. «It shows the stupidity of this kind of dictatorial regime. I mean, how can you see the world with one eye? How can you be so obsessed with your macho ego? Can you think of a world without women?»
Called The rose hunters, those figure represents the ones attacking the women, generally the most beautiful ones, the ones Farzankia call «the hero of the street». «It’s a silly thing to do because how can you kill all the roses? You cannot accomplish this mission and it will eventually turn back on you», warn the artist.
Nurturing Farzankia’s approach with his audience and the delicate attention art demands
Through imbuing his work with ambiguity, he fosters a space for diverse interpretations, allowing people from various backgrounds to interact with his art and form their own distinctive connections to it. Farzankia mentions that he never contemplates where the artwork will be displayed or the specific audience that will view it, emphasizing a more open and unrestricted creative approach.
Farzankia explains: «Then you make it to deliver a specific message. I don’t. That’s why sometimes it takes more time to get closer to a piece of art as you have to give it some attention». Following by drawing a parallel with the moment one falls in love with someone of something. «When you fall in love with something, you automatically step up and give that person or that thing your full attention because your body requires it for you», said the painter before adding, «if we don’t fall in love, we just walk past it, right?»
Farshad Farzankia in Iran
Born in Teheran, Iran, but living in Copenhagen, Denmark, Farshad Farzankia work spans from bright paintings, sculptures, and installations. In light of the cross-cultural interpretation of meaning, the artist employs a vivid color palette alongside a minimalist and expressive set of symbols that are simultaneously anonymous and familiar. Farzankia’s latest exhibition, She Rose is currently showcased at the SOCO Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will be on display until October 31, 2023.
