Jaclyn Tripp and Mata Drain
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – An Iranian-born artist whose work gives viewers a clearer understanding of the challenges immigrants face as they transition into life in a new country will be on display in downtown Shreveport beginning Jan. 26, as will the work of two other Iranian-born artists.
Sara Rastegar uses installation art, sculpture, photography, and printmaking to bring viewers into transcendent boundaries, where they can embrace the unknown in an array of glass, bronze, plaster, wood, concrete, and prints.
Rastegar’s curation, “Living the Unknown,” will be exhibited with the work of two more Iranian artists: Nida Bangash and Fatemeh Hosseini. Their artwork will be displayed at Artspace in downtown Shreveport beginning Jan. 26 at 5 p.m.
All three artists will be featured in an artist’s talk on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 2 to 4 p.m.
“Immigration is not solely a geographical relocation,” said Rastegar. Instead, she says, it’s a profound journey into the unknown, where the constants are unpredictability and change.
“It is both exhilarating and daunting, weaving together optimism and despondency, and relentlessly testing our convictions and fortitude. At its core, immigration demands an unwavering bravery—a courage to confront uncertainties and navigate uncharted territories, whether they be physical or within the recesses of the mind,” said Rastegar.
She is a Department of Foundation Studies professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has also served as an adjunct professor of art at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Rastegar has an MFA in Studio Arts in Glass from the University of Texas at Arlington, an MFA in Studio Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran, and a BFA in Graphic Design from the Art School of Neishabour, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.
Rastegar has previously exhibited in Texas, Louisiana, Vermont, and Washington.
“It is a narrative that resonates with anyone navigating the complexities of personal growth,” says Rastegar of her art.
Nida Bangash is a professor in the Department of Foundation Studies at SCAD and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Art at Texas Women’s University and the University of North Texas in Denton. She’s also the Heard Natural Science and Wildlife Sanctuary curator in McKinney, Texas.
Fatemah Hosseini is a professor at SCAD and has an MA in motion media design. She also has an MFA in painting from Alzahra University in Tehran, Iraq’s School of Visual Arts.
Rastegar says that the collective work of all three artists, including herself, encourages viewers to experience a deeper understanding of the shared human experience of adaptation and transformation, both physically and mentally.
