Zahra Soltani

Artwork Title

تجربه فرهنگی (Cultural experience)

Expressive Form

Painting

Artist Statement

My work a cultural and structural frame artwork that expresses the richness of colour and pattern in a collection of portraits of Islamic woman. Vibrate colours that express the emotions, cultural background and identity of each woman are used. My body of work is acrylic painting on canvas and conceptually explores the idea of culture and how Islamic woman are viewed in society. The scarf represents the culture and belief of the women. For Islamic women, the hijab adds protection. This is worn by women to maintain modesty and privacy from unrelated males. My work intends to give the audience insight into my Afghan background and culture.

My main influence is contemporary artist Omaid Sharifi. His work explores the cultural barriers of Afghan culture and his work examines Afghan society. Sharifi’s concept links to my own as we both explore our cultural identity and the role our culture plays in defining who we are.