Tania Pourashraf

Tania Pourashraf is an emerging artist and recent Fine Art graduate from Kingston University. Deeply influenced by her personal experiences of living in Iran under a restrictive regime and the people closest to her, Pourashraf transforms these traumas into powerful artistic expressions. Her multifaceted work spans drawings, performance, sound, and recently, poetry, now that she has the freedom to. Her art serves as a voice for the oppressed, highlighting the brutal reality faced by those struggling under the dictatorship in Iran. Through her practice, she aims to raise awareness of the harsh conditions in her home country, particularly drawing attention to the protests during Autumn 2022. Pourashraf seeks to shed light on the ongoing struggles in Iran and demand for change.

Process

I’ve always wanted to create work that makes people feel. whether that’s to experience a sense of home, or to get an inside look into a world so different to the one they’ve always lived and known. I start each piece by going through my memories, old photos, parents’ antiques.. after i’ve found a piece that overwhelms me with a mixed sense of belonging and grief, I know that is the one I must recreate. I start off by doing a drawing, whether that’s miniature or large scale, and build around it. creating the right home for it to exist in. I feel my work has limited space in western galleries and exhibitions, so a lot of my practice is focused on making it a space of its own, welcoming people in.. or sometimes not.

Influences

My biggest influence has always been my own experiences and the ones of those who have suffered for me to even be where I am today. My grandmother, my mother, my family. I will never be able to make up for the sacrifices they’ve made for my freedom, so every piece I make will always be dedicated to them, to the life they put aside for me to be able to live mine. Their lives, their memories, their small moments shared at times where I wasn’t even in this world yet, they inspire me to create and recreate what has been silenced by the Islamic government.

Challenges

Since graduating and moving houses, I’ve not had a space dedicated to creating art.. I have a tiny flat I live in that barely has space for me, let alone my art! Creating during this time has honestly still been a struggle for me.. I have a tendency to value my work based on size.. and with such limited space I’ve only been able to create miniatures. Through this however, i’ve learned to view my work in phases.. making each section of my life into a collection of work that reflects my personal life without pressuring myself to create what I believe to be of value.. because all of my work is worthy of that.

Reflection

As a persian woman who creates and does art for a living, I am a constant act of protest.. everything I do and create will be a reclaiming of my freedom. By doing so, I hope to not only inspire and give hope to my people, but also enlighten the western world in what countries like Iran have done to their people and especially women, showing the people’s light and being a voice for those who have been silenced. And that is the one thing that keeps me going.