| Do you live, work, and/or have historic ties to Los Angeles County? | Yes |
| Please elaborate on the above. | 1996-99 Lived in Glendale; Student, Gnomon Visual Effects, Hollywood 2000-01 Lived in Mar Vista; Work, Fulltime, Sony Pictures Imageworks 2001-06 Work, Fulltime, Artist/Art Director, USC ICT, Marina del Rey 2006 Moved to Mid City where I currently live. 2006-16 Work, Fulltime, Art Director, Game Innovation Lab, USC 2016-18 MFA, Animation & Digital Art, USC School of Cinematic Arts 2019 Took a break. Life priorities changed by pandemic 2020-25 Amplify the voice of women in Iran to the largest concentration of Iranians living outside of Iran- living in Los Angeles. |
IDENTITY SHAPED BY LIFE-EXPERIENCE ____________________________________
I am an Iranian-American who was born an American-Iranian—in Tehran in 1966, to an Iranian father and an American mother. The love and mutual respect within my bi-cultural family is a shield to the overt biases of the wider community—biases that were fueled for 444+ days on the nightly news. I was one of the lucky ones, while Iranians in America were vilified, I was just ‘othered.' There is a strange kind of freedom in being overlooked. Its like being handed a invisibility cloak. With the resilience of a child, and later the naïve optimism of a teenager, I survived—and eventually thrived—by choosing alternative paths. These choices grew from my admiration for the communities I encountered—invisible communities made of people whose convictions were earned through perseverance and quiet resilience. It is within these unseen circles that I discovered the profound value of listening to voices that often go unheard. In doing so, I learned not to fear change, as it is inevitable—and often an opening for transformation. A researcher I met early in my career once told me I’m like the canary in the coal mine. I’ve come to understand that challenging social norms often comes at a personal cost. But I’ve also learned that the communities willing to embrace diversity and protect independent thinking are the ones most capable of transformation—and ultimately, of becoming stronger.
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| The Bird of Vision with closeup, Bill Viola pencil & ink on paper, 14 x 11 inches, 2007 |
BIOGRAPHY _______________________________________________________
My artistic practice has always questioned societal norms, rooted in my experience navigating the cultural dissonance between my expectations of America—formed while living in Iran—and what I’ve witnessed since moving here. In my twenties, I lived in Aspen, Colorado, where it was easy to engage with a thoughtful and curious community. A series of pranks I pulled there, later titled On Irreverence in Paradise, tested the boundaries of free speech and equal protection under the law—core American ideals. To my surprise and delight, they held up. That experience reinforced my idealistic view of America and encouraged me to embrace my inalienable rights while dreaming of a secure, creative future.
I moved to California to update my skills in 3D computer graphics, which opened doors into emerging fields such as feature film and experimental animation, virtual reality, AI, interactive media, and video games. From 2001 to 2016, I worked as a lead artist and art director on emotionally evocative virtual environments at the University of Southern California (USC), contributing to research in remote learning and "impact media" (a.k.a. serious games) on topics ranging from politics to spiritual enlightenment.
As cinematic and performing arts began to converge, I returned to school and developed the Body Scrub device, a tool that spatializes animation by correlating space and time. Its first application, LEGO, was acquired by The Strong National Museum of Play. The 30th, titled Gender ID, was my MFA thesis at the USC School of Cinematic Arts (2018), exploring identity through embodied animation.
Now in the final chapter of my career, I’m turning toward art and activism. My interventions at the Freedom Sculpture address human rights—another American-branded ideal —which originated 2500 years ago in Iran. It influenced the founding fathers who centered the US Constitution on Religious and Individual freedoms
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Freedom Sculpture by Cecil Balmond OBE, 2017 Los Angeles, CA, Stainless Steel, 15 x 20 x 9 ft |
The Freedom Sculpture, is an Iranian-American led, widely crowd-supported public monumental gift, inspired by the humanitarian ideals of freedom, respect for cultural diversity and inclusiveness that originated with Cyrus the Great of Persia 2,500 years ago.- Farhang Foundation
I met Nadereh at a dinner party where we were both a plus one guest. Feeling out of place we gravitated towards the garden, away from the all the activity. Reaching for the same seat, we bump hands, and I noticed crudely written words tattooed on her arm. Attempting to break the ice, I asked: "Who is Parviz?" as I slide into the next seat. Nadereh's answer shatters the ice.: "He was my husband and he was executed in Iran in 1988." <In 1988 with the end of the Iran-Iraq war and fearing assassination, Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the execution of thousands of political prisoners.> Nadereh doesn't know how Parviz was executed, or where he is buried. She was fleeing Iran and never got to say goodbye. Without any form of closure she is still mourning. So I asked her to meet me the Freedom Sculpture the following night. This photo sequence by Amir Soltani documents what happened that night.
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2022 Freedom, Revisited: Say My Name, Be My Voice
The Cat and the Coup is a documentary videogame about Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, the Prime Minister of Iran, who nationalized his countries oil industry in 1951. Soon after he was overthrown by a CIA engineered coup d'état. In the videogame you play as his cat.
The Cat and the Coup presents the complicated story of a covert American intervention through allegorical game mechanics and metaphoric imagery. It encourages personal interpretation and inspires players to think about the cost of democracy.
RESUME/CV ____________________________________________________________________
| Which employment position(s) would you like to be considered for? Select all that apply. | Climate Resilience and Adaptation (1 position) Arts, Health, and Wellbeing (1 position) |
No. not currently. When my activism regarding Iran became political, I withdrew, without explanation from any involvement to honor their mission to be non-political.
share a bit about the organization and your involvement.
Farhang's Mission: Farhang Foundation (FF) is a member-supported, non-religious, non-political, not-for-profit organization established in 2008 to celebrate and promote Iranian art and culture for the benefit of the community-at-large.
Highlights of my formal association with Farhang Foundation are documented in their 2016 publication, Iranian Studies at USC, A Celebration of a Journey.
2012 Organized "An Afternoon with Noureddin ZarrinKelk: The Father of Iranian Animation"
2014 Guest speaker at their Visiting Professors lecture series
2015 Panelist, Iranian Diaspora & the Networked Culture, Iranian Studies Initiative Conference. Produced and directed Arash the Archer
My ongoing work at the Freedom Sculpture is done independently and is not supported by the foundation trustees, management, advisors, or contributors.
2022 My intervention sparks a movement transforming FS into the living symbol of solidarity with the Iranian people
2024 My intervention has a profound impact on one member of our community.
What does it mean to you to be an effective community advocate and/or community-oriented arts practitioner? How would you imagine incorporating members of the community into your work and process?
I would like to develop a YouTube channel for the community based organization. I would tap into their build in audience, to quickly get 1000 supporters , qualifying their channel to benefit from a pro status and to monetize based on viewership. I would work with them to identify recording opportunities that can be incorporated into tasks they already perform, without breaking work flow or pandering to egos. Overtime audience size could grow and the channel could be a source of revenue to cover production costs and more. If the channel continue after my tenure then I could say I was effective.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE __________________________________________________
Please describe your capacity to achieve long term projects, including your ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and meet deadlines. If possible please offer past examples of long-term projects you have completed. For example, implementing arts programming, designing a public installation, or a past fellowship.
Over nearly three decades of professional experience—as detailed in my resume—I’ve successfully completed a wide range of long-term projects, both independently and as part of large and small teams across diverse disciplines. As a research-based artist, my process aligns more closely with that of a designer than a traditional fine artist: it is iterative, methodical, and rooted in clear communication. Articulating the rationale behind creative decisions is key to earning the trust of collaborators and stakeholders.
I track progress through cycles of research, prototyping, implementation, and evaluation—allowing teams to forecast timelines realistically and transition smoothly from development to production. While I value structure, I remain open to shifts in direction when new ideas or unexpected insights arise.
Over time, I’ve also learned to distinguish between collaboration and cooperation. Collaborative projects often create interdependencies—meaning a project can stall if one team member falls behind. In cooperative models, however, once core objectives are clearly defined, individuals can work independently toward a shared goal. I’ve found this latter approach particularly effective when working with community-based organizations or multidisciplinary teams.
One example is The Cat and the Coup, a political video game I co-created. During its development, I took a three-month break from my research lab at USC for a residency at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. With uninterrupted time and focus, I was surprised by how quickly I could produce high-quality work—affirming my ability to deliver under both structured and independent conditions.
What would you hope to get out of this Artists At Work program? *
In compiling my recent activism for Iran as part of this application, I’ve noticed a consistent tone of gravity in my work. Stepping back, I want to better understand the impact of that approach. Your program, with its wide-ranging support for artists addressing diverse and urgent issues, feels like the ideal environment for such reflection—and I would genuinely welcome your critical perspective.
Recently, I came across an idea that stuck with me: megalomaniacs hate not being taken seriously. It made me wonder—could my own seriousness be inadvertently empowering the very forces I seek to undermine? I’m now considering shifting the tone of my activism toward something more humorous and satirical, using wit to deflate inflated egos rather than dignify them with solemnity.
To explore this, I’ve revisited some of my earlier, irreverent interventions. These works used humor to provoke thought and spark conversation, and I’m interested in returning to that mode.
Through the Artists At Work program, I hope to test new approaches to activism, gain feedback from peers and mentors, and reflect critically on tone, efficacy, and impact. More than anything, I want to ensure that my work continues to challenge power—not reinforce it.
Blue Masking Tape, 6" x 4"
Team: Thomas Mooney
"Art, I'll pass. That's the sentiment espoused by a less-than-vicious vandal who altered a sign over the entrance to the Aspen Art Museum using plastic blue tape. Museum employees awoke Thursday to find that someone had changed the sign to "Aspen Fart Museum." drawing chuckles from passers-by and staffers alike."
Black Ink, Silkscreen on Cotton T-shirt
"ValaNejad's image came as a response to the scathing New York Times Article last month that slammed not only Aspen and the IDCA, but designers in general for losing the sense of social mission the Aspen conference once stood for."
Toilet Paper, B&W Xerox on paper, Wire Hanger, variable size
"Elvis may be dead, but Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali apparently are alive and in good humor in Aspen. The self-titled group DADAA, Dead Artists who Dislike Aspen Art, have claimed responsibility for the hoof-to-helmet draping of the massive artwork. After a successful career in painting, it seems that Picasso and Dali have taken up rhyming verse. "Prompt removal is suggested, for tacky Aspen art can no longer be ingested. So Consider this fair warning, Or we'll steal him piece by piece 'til he's missing one morning." , the note read."
It is hard to know until assigned to a participating organizations but a laptop with an AI capable GPU would be a smart purchase.
