Raana Abtahi
I am projected to achieve my Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture from VCUArts in the Spring of 2023. I am a Persian American and my heritage heavily influences my art as I constantly bring awareness to eastern feminism through my distortion of western feminism. My art is also influenced by mental and physical illnesses that have had several adverse effects on my life in ways that only those who suffer the same conditions could fathom. The installations I create can be thought of as parts of a series that tell the story of my individual life while addressing societal issues that affect the common collective. Despite all the tragedies I have fought through, I still find an overwhelming amount of beauty in the world and when I began my career as an artist, I wanted to produce works that highlighted this concept. My art has taught me that the definition of beauty is subjective and dependent upon each individual’s story. I have and will continue to create escapist art in which I turn the traumas, experiences, and beliefs that shape me into surreal, unordinary, and beautiful sculptures.
CW: blood, weapons, death
TW: DV, SA, ED