Iranian born artist Afsaneh Djabbari-Aslani attended USC’s Roski School of Art and Design, at the onset of the Iran’s Islamic Revolution. The upheaval in her native country culminated with the US Embassy hostage crisis dramatically transformed her world, with a significant influence on her artistic work. Afsaneh says she never finds art relaxing, “It is a very active emotion for me.” She is very responsive to issues in the world reflecting on a self-portrait from 1982,” I had hoped that 40 years later I would look at this and put it away as part of my history, where politics, religion and sexism would be resolved and I would not feel this trapped.
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Unfortunately, politics, inequality, sexism and misogynistic behavior continues with all its trappings in an imbalanced world.” Somehow through that backdrop she has managed to infuse her work with bright colors, light, water, texture and reflections, tracing back to her Persian roots where color and decorative art is part of its rich history.
