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SHIRIN MELLATGOHAR

Location:

Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran

ARTIST BIO

Shirin Mellatgohar (b.1976, Baghdad, Iraq) is a visual artist based in Tehran, Iran. She received her BFA from Tehran University of Art. Her work has been included in a number of exhibitions, nationally and internationally, such as Sugar Gallery, USA; Naregatsi Gallery, Armenia; Aaran Gallery, Tehran; Homa Gallery, Tehran; First Painting Symposium in Museum of Qasr Prison, Tehran; and First Drawing Biennial, Karaj.
In 1980 Saddam Hussein expelled her and her family from Iraq due to their Iranian nationality, so they became refugees in Iran. A few months later, Saddam Hussein attacked Iran, invaded some part of its territory and began an eight-year war. Shirin with a hybrid national identity (Iranian-Iraqi) grew up within Iranian society during war. Working primarily with painting and drawing, she addresses her hybrid national identity through using domestic crafts, which she learned from her mother in very young ages, such as embroidery and crochet as well as paper-mache.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My art is significantly influenced by my experiences as an immigrant child with a dual Iranian-Iraqi heritage. For years, I have created works based on my lived experiences. My recent collection draws inspiration from the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient story that connects these two places, Iran and Iraq, marking a new direction in my artistic journey. The captivating narrative of Gilgamesh ignited my imagination, leading me to experiment with diverse techniques in my artwork. My magnum opus in this collection is a three-meter piece that employs patchwork, embroidery, and eco-printing, incorporating traditional fabrics that reflect my connection with my roots. This piece serves as a pivotal point in my artistic trajectory, both in terms of scale and the combination of multiple techniques.

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