Interested in trauma manifested as ghosts and spirits, the artist continues her deeply personal exploration through hiding and concepts of refuge.
Canvas: The idea of concealment runs through your work. Are you trying to hide something or just stay hidden?
Rana Dehghan: I was brought up in Iran, a very religious and strict Islamic country, especially so if you are a woman. We can’t say what we think or do what we want. Since I was a kid, I have had to go symbolically under a blanket to express myself, because we just don’t have that freedom in public. I went to a therapist and discovered this is something that I have been doing since childhood and that the blanket is a safe place for me to do whatever I want and say the things I need to say.
Ghosts and spirits are central to your artistic practice, what do they mean to you?
They are my very soul.
One of your ghost sculptures has a hand coming out from under it. It almost felt like someone was trying to reach out.
Yes, I actually had four ghosts in that project. One had a cat in it, one of them was crying, one had blue material seeping out and the other had the hand emerging. Again, it’s a reference to this blanket in reaction to trauma. With the hand, I’m trying to test the waters, peeking out.
Rana Dehghan. Untitled. 2022. Mixed media (fiberglass). 110 x 50 x 50 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Dastan Gallery
Cats are prominent in your work. What is your connection with them?
When you walk in the streets in Iran, you see loads of stray cats. I’m obsessed with them. I actually have four cats of my own, and I feed the ones in the streets. When I see a wounded cat, I take it to the vets. They relate to my experiences and childhood, they’re a part of my life.
What do you hope people will take away from your work?
Most of the time when people ask why I made something, I turn it around and ask them what they think of the piece. I genuinely want to hear their thoughts. As an artist, I hate writing statements about my work. If I were a good speaker, I wouldn’t be an artist. I create work to express my feelings.
What new work do you have in the pipeline?
Most of my projects come from my therapy sessions, so most of the subjects are personal. I’m currently working on a project about my innermost fears.
This interview first appeared in Canvas 109: Smoke and Mirrors
