Raheleh Filsoofi

Lives and works in Nashville, TN, USA

Artist statement

The past several years through my multimedia practice, I have covered a great amount of experiential, geographical, temporal, disciplinary and conceptual ground. These experiences have formed my philosophy in my studio practice and educational curriculum and focused on various issues about the human condition. I have accessed and negotiated concepts of heritage, place of origin, cultural adaptability, and orientation. My multimedia installations are deeply rooted in my cultural background and my ever-evolving identity as an immigrant, and challenge viewers to examine their own perspectives and beliefs. I utilize different aesthetic strategies by incorporating and experimenting with materials with wide ranges of relevant applications to my subject matter. Multimedia provides multilayers of perception and interpretation, while each medium plays its own separate role in expression. Clay is the nexus from which all of my ideas emanate. It is cryptic, architectural, and the space where sound, video and light is stored to create holistic sensory experiences. Clay establishes inside and outside spaces -- private and public, inclusive and exclusive, and defines all types of boundaries. My goal is to create work which speaks to universal human issues. Today’s issues of immigration, borders and cross-cultural communication are interwoven with notions of identity, belonging and inhabitation. I intend for my work to raise questions and promote engagement. I want my art to be an...

Artwork