Interview With Shaghayegh Shojaian a Well Known Talented Iranian Artist
Shaghayegh Shojaian is an Iranian artist living in Tehran , Iran . Her creative art works have been displayed in many prestigious art exhibitions and art auctions inside Iran and outside her country . She has participated in hundreds of events which presented her work around the globe including the glamorous Monaco art week which promotes the most prestigious art galleries and auction houses . For the last 16 years she has been working as a professional full time artist , she emphasized that art is a lifestyle for her, not just a job. She loves expressing her imagination through her work , she always felt extreme joy creating and expressing her thoughts & emotions through art .
During her childhood years her first interest was literature , throughout her school years she was described as a gifted writer with unique imagination . At a very young age she wrote a short story about a little bird and illustrated it all by herself at the age of 8 years old . One of her stories won the first prize among schools when she was only 10 years old in Tehran , Iran . At the age of 13 she began showing great interest towards art and painting which led her to winning first prize at painting competition in her city .
Shaghayegh Shojaian graduated from the Azad University of Tehran in 2004 majoring in art and architecture and started as a graphic designer for some of the prestigious companies and factories located in Iran . As well for Iran’s ministry of agriculture handling almost all the graphic design projects for the ministry . However she wanted bigger challenges , so she left her job to peruse her dream of painting conceptual art . She spent most of her time in her studio in Tehran painting and researching all different sorts of art styles to gain inspiration . Due to her determination pursuing her dreams , she created her own signature art style which has been exhibited and sold in Iran and outside her country in major cities such as London, Monaco, Los Angeles, Paris, Toronto, Doha, Istanbul and Athens .
Shaghayegh Shojaian tell us how did you get connected to countries outside and be able to sell your art ?
I usually met artists , organizers and foreign gallery owners visiting the exhibitions where I displayed my art pieces , they invited me to showcase my art at their galleries , as well I got invitations from the foreign embassies in Iran to visit their countries to display my art at galleries and attend art ceremonies .
Were you surprised that your Art was getting so much recognition & positive feedback ?
At first indeed I was extremely surprised that as an Iranian female artist being overseas at foreign exhibitions I received so much positive feedback , I discovered people truly love Iranian people and are fascinated by Iran’s rich history and culture .
Tell us about a situation that happened at one of your Art exhibitions which was very memorable ?
I had many memorable moments but the one I can never forget was in 2019 , I had my exhibition in Tehran at a very prestigious gallery , I was feeling extremely nervous , not knowing what to expect then suddenly the owner of the gallery approached me to inform me that my art was all sold out to many foreign collectors . It was the happiest moment when I heard those words .
Which counties are your foreign buyers from ?
Good question , it really depends but let me give you an example for the last 3 years I sold my art without displaying them at any exhibition, it was sold directly to art enthusiasts in Turkey , USA and Europe . I was very surprised to discover my paintings were displayed in Monaco , Los Angeles , Paris and Toronto .
Give us an idea about your style and describe visual art to our audience ?
I am happy you asked this question , the style of professional visual art is very complicated , if you are a female conceptual artist living in a country like Iran, it can be twenty times more complicated . However, these difficulties have never mattered to me or stopped my creativity . I am very successful at what I do , I think my character and my way of thinking has always helped me explore and grasp new creative exciting ideas . I am extremely proud of being an Iranian female artist , I want to represent my country and show the world that Iran has many great talented people .
By Lavish Life Publication Editorial Team