Artist Conversation 4

Artist: Mahsa Soroudi
Exhibition: Nature’s Cadence
Media: Succlent
Website: http://www.mahsasoroudi.com

About the Artist

Mahsa Soroudi was born in the early 1980s in Tehran and grew up in a Muslim household. Both of her parents expressed their love for art throughout her childhood, which influenced the way that she was exposed to art. She went to school in Tehran, also commonly associated with being the art capital in Iran due to its multitude of art galleries. After her marriage, she sought more opportunities and moved out of Iran to her first destination: Malaysia. After learning her english in Malaysia, she moved to the United States, where she now resides.

Formal Analysis

The art pieces were in various sizes; some of the succulents were tiny and needed a close up view and others were tall and can be easily seen from a distance. The succulents had the typical earthy tones that are associated with plants: different shades of green and brown. Depending on the type of succulent that was being displayed, the texture varied from plant to plant. Generally, a smooth leaf texture indicated easy growth while a rough texture can be associated with hardships that the plant had to stay alive. The succulents were placed in either glass vases or small plastic containers.

Content Analysis

The succulents served as a metaphor for Mahsa Soroudi’s life because despite how beautiful the plants were on the outside, we never fully known what is going on inside the dirt. She relates to this as an immigrant because she thought she would be easily able to thrive in California, but soon found out that a piece of herself inside was missing home. Despite moving far from home, she could never forget her roots and where she came from. During a period of time when she felt down and unmotivated, she noticed that the plants were all suffering, despite being a sturdy succulent that generally do not need much attention. After acknowledging this, she began to take better care of the plants, which correlated to her mood and self feeling better too.

My Experience

It was very interesting hearing Mahsa Soroudi relate her art to her immigrant experiences. Although I do not personally relate, my parents immigrated here and I can imagine that a similar sense of uncertainty and confusion have crossed their minds. Being a long distance away from a majority of close family members is definitely not an easy thing to do, so I respect and am amazed of people, like Mahsa Soroudi, that are able to take the chance for a better future. She also looks very happy and it makes me joyful too, knowing that she has found her place and is thriving.