My work explores the concept of marginalization and the experience of being “rendered invisible and unheard” (Ferguson et al., 1990). I point out the different ways of looking at one story and narrate the experience of members of minority communities. My focus is on the discriminatory experiences I had all my life in Iran, my homeland, and how these have given me a feeling of erasure and invalidity during my life.

My work mainly emphasizes the experience of each story for human beings, not the story itself. By indicating different perspectives, I encourage the viewer to engage in and review their lived experiences. Paolo Freire’s ideas about developing communication and communication for social change (Freire, 2005) have directly impacted my artistic intentions. Developing dialogues that involve creating a democratic space where everyone’s voice is given equal weight has been one of my aims through my art practice.

I am curious about the experience of marginalized individuals and groups and research about how they experience invisibility and erasure in the societies they live in. Layers have a significant role in my artworks. I mostly use layers of paints or paper to mimic the complexity of being marginalized and how there are many aspects to unfold each person’s experience. I believe that a more thorough understanding of the minority communities can help us to envision and make possible kinder cities and societies.