Artist Explores Dual Cultural Identities in MOWA Exhibit

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Image: Museum of Wisconsin Art

Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Bones are Used in Persian Khatam II, 2021 (detail)

Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Bones are Used in Persian Khatam II, 2021 (detail)

Art speaks in a language all its own. That awareness has helped artist Nina Ghanbarzadeh, who emigrated to Milwaukee from her native Iran more than 20 years ago, successfully explore and express her feelings about both her native and adopted countries.

Graduating with a BFA from UW-Milwaukee, Ghanbarzadeh has been lauded for her talent, which combines both Persian and American influences. Her work also earned her first-place honors in the Museum of Wisconsin Art’s 2020 Biennial. Part of that prize is Bridges, a separate exhibit of Ghanbarzadeh’s work held in conjunction with this year’s Biennial, both of which open Feb. 12 at MOWA’s West Bend facility.

To counteract the absurdity and brutality she sees in the world, Ghabarzadeh searches for beauty in language abstractions, and her quiet, meditative works explore universal markings that reveal cultural commonalities among us all. She recently took time to explain her approach and inspiration.

The U.S. and Iran are dramatically different countries. What is life like for artists there?

I can only speak about my observations and experiences in Iran before 2001. Living as an artist is never easy regardless of where one lives. The art market is very competitive here in the U.S., so exhibiting and getting art galleries’ attention are harder as a result. Regarding the art itself, the attention to the critical thinking and content building in Iran was not as strong then as in the U.S. But the cost of production, materials and studio space was much more affordable back then. Unfortunately, that affordability does not exist anymore due to the recent sanctions there which make it very hard for artists.

What do you try and accomplish with your art?

My art celebrates my heritage and depicts my diasporic story. Persian poetry, words of wisdom and geometry inspire me. For the exhibition I have selected pieces from different bodies of work with an underlying thread of mark-making whether in the form of written words, putting paint on Mylar, or simply drawing a line. I claim my space through mark-making and leaving marks to show that I live and exist here.

I use motifs or materials that are culturally significant. The rhomboid dots used in the small drawings or embroidery are borrowed from Persian calligraphy. Terracotta and pottery are ancient Persian art forms. The color gold, repetition and geometric pattern are other elements that are found in the works on display. Bridges invites the viewers into my quiet space where nothing is too loud.

In 2019 you started ARTKee, a toy company based in New Berlin. Tell us about that.

In 2009 while at UWM, I took an entrepreneurship class in which, students had to research and develop an idea to produce and sell. During the same time, I was teaching Farsi—my mother tongue—to my 6-year-old daughter. To make it easier for her, I would break down the letter shapes into lines and curves. Any written language is based on using simple shapes of lines, curves, and dots. I used the same idea to develop and design a set of shapes that would make up the entire English alphabet.

The name ARTKee is the combination of ART and Kee, the last three letters in “Milwaukee”. Also, Kee is the “key” to one’s imagination. The letter kits’ felt shapes are designed to make up English letters, but you can create your own shapes if you will. I still use the same idea of breaking down the letter shapes into lines and dots in some of my drawings. These two ideas manifest differently in my two different practices. You can look at the products on the website softwords.us.

Can art accomplish what other forms of communication can’t in bridging cultural gaps?

I believe that art has its own unique universal language. People are more receptive to the cultural differences and similarities through art. People come from different backgrounds and speak different languages, yet they enjoy looking at the same paintings or sculptures. Even when colors and shapes are the same, it is the different stories and the contexts in which the art is created that helps art form successful bridges among people.

Bridges, an exploration of 2020 Biennial winner Nina Ghanbarzadeh’s works, opens Feb. 12 at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, 205 Veterans Ave., West Bend. An opening reception featuring the artist will be held Feb. 12 from 2-4 p.m.