In the last entry we profiled the work of Young Persian Artist,  Shantia Zakerameli, read below the promised interview.

 

Tell me about yourself

I was born is Isfahan in 1980. I have been working in the very same city for the past 20 years. However, realistically that number should be 16, as that is when I began to study art at university and work seriously.

Who are the people in your paintings?

They are often people who I am close to. However, in my paintings, I generally strive to capture moments that are pure and extraordinary. Sometimes these moments can go beyond my own reality or dreams. Therefore, the people I paint can be people I know but they can also be an illustration of an event or happening which could have existed for someone else.

 

How do you work?

Usually when I start to paint I have the completed end result in my mind. I usually begin a painting knowing how to achieve the end result and how to do justice to the picture in my mind. However, whilst painting I always find myself in a self-reflective place and I end up questioning my original vision. The voice of my self-reflection versus the desire to achieve what I had set out to do, is an on-going struggle. Ultimately, this struggle makes it very difficult for me to answer your question in a clear way. In the end, it’s always a process.

 

What do you do when you aren’t working

I make a concerted enjoyment effort.

In this era of digital photography, do you think figurative painting is still relevant?

Yes. In fact, I believe that digital photography has increased the yearning of the eye for a deeper, more meaningful experience. With photography, the eye is confronted mostly with a moment. Painting can create a unique and wonderful, more complex visual experience. The resurrection of painting is proof of this very point.

What do you want to achieve with art?

To obtain that peace, which I can achieve only with art, without which life would be unbearable.

Whose art do you enjoy the most?

As far as I’m concerned, creating art is the most valuable thing man can do or produce. I respect and appreciate all art. However, if I need to put down a name, I would have to say Casper David Friedrich, the German painter of the Romantic era.

 

All photos courtesy of Ali Zanjani Photography