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TARAVAT TALEPASAND | طراوت

@artistvat

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ARTIST | آزاده نگهدار | Made in Iran, Born in America
“Art is where what we survive survives.”

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A call to action.

Billboard by me provided by @greendropgarage
In gratitude for sharing your billboard to hold up space and being a voice for Iranians who are sacrificing their lives for freedom sans regime.

We see you, hear you, and will share your voice!
#womanlifefreedom #freeiran #iranrevolution #iran taken in Portland, Oregon by @artistvat

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4 years ago

طراوت | TARAVAT | UNCENSORED

Me in a hijab for my Iranian passport, age 6
“Intransigent Youth”

Grateful that this exhibition has a second life that it deserves. Big Bow to the @YBCA Team for bringing it to San Francisco, a sanctuary city that has served me many years of inspiration and connections with a diverse community of artists and many endearing friends. Art has no boundaries and can be inherently political—what I learned at @sfai

@amykisch :Thrilled to be able to bring this powerful show by @artistvat to @ybca and offer a forum for convening and solidarity around the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, grassroot efforts, intersectional ethics, and communicating the pragmatic ways in which culture and law discriminates against women and queer people across many spheres.
#womanlifefreedom #mahsaamini #iran #taravat #taravattalepasand

Join us on May 13th for a reception from 2-6pm in YBCA's second floor galleries—the artist will be present.

Talepasand grapples with the difficult legacy of women's freedoms and Muslim identity through a dynamic mix of paintings, drawings, collage, video, and neon sculpture-referencing the visual conventions of Pop art, propaganda, and appropriations.

Visit the @ybca link in our bio to RSVP and learn more about طراوت | TARAVAT Taravat at age six wearing a hijab for her Iranian passport.
“Intransigent Youth” taken in Ybca by @artistvat

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3 years ago

Full circle at Portland State University💚

Never too late to share good news…
I accepted a Tenure Track position as an Assistant Professor in Art Practice at Portland State University College of Art + Art History + Design. I love it here.

Here’s the story: My parents immigrated from Iran during the 1979 Revolution. My baba, father, was accepted at the University of Oregon for his undergraduate degree and received his Masters in engineering at Portland State. I spent most of my childhood on this campus while PSU helped my parents with housing and the best childcare at Helen Gordon Child Development Center.

Deeply honored to be back at PSU in this way—to provide the skills and critical thinking methods for students art practices at an affordable state college. Thank you baba for sacrificing everything you left in Iran for me to have a choice to do whatever I want.

Baba’s 1984 PSU ID signed, “Head of Immigration”

[ID in alt text] Top picture is Taravat’s Portland State University Faculty ID card mimicking her Father’s Student ID at the bottom where he has eyeglasses on, pencil behind his right ear holding a coffee cup in the right hand and a lit cigarette in his left hand hand. His ID signature reads “Head of Immigration”. taken in Portland State University by @artistvat

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4 years ago

Premiering November 19, 2026

Tickets available now at link in bio

With Her Own Wings is a concert-length experience in music, art, film, light, storytelling, emotion, and the human condition. Exploring the narrative of women in Iran and across the globe, spurred by the Iranian Woman-Life-Freedom movement which began in 2022.   The concert is spearheaded by Iranian-American painter & visual artist Taravat Talepasand and Iranian-American percussionist & composer Christopher Whyte. Featuring new contemporary works from composers Anahita Abbasi, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, and Aida Shirazi. Immersive visuals and lighting created by Mario Gallucci, Padraic O’Meara, and Solomon Weisbard.

@artistvat
@chris_s_whyte
@ana.hita_abbasi
@aida.shirazi.composer
@niloufar.nourbakhsh
@padraicomeara
@solweisbard
@mariogalluccistudio
@reserartscenter
@the_ocf
@psu_arts
@psu_somt by @artistvat

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3 days ago

In collaboration with @artistvat , I made these portraits of three Iranian composers for the premiere of With Her Own Wings. November 19th, 2026 at @reserartscenter link in bio

@with.her.own.wings

Swipe for BTS by @artistvat

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4 days ago

Taravat’s office at Portland State University

Thank you @mariogalluccistudio
for always capturing my spirit🤍 taken in Jordan Schnitzer School of Art, Art History & Design at PSU by @artistvat

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4 days ago

INSIDE THE PIECE 🖼️ Taravat Talepasand⁠
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Throughout July, we're taking a closer look at the works that made this 2026 Biennial exhibition so compelling.⁠ Join curator TK Smith for a deeper dive into the work and the ideas behind it.⁠
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@artistvat @tksmith106 by @artistvat

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3 months ago

WITH HER OWN WINGS🪽

Premier at The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
November 19, 2026 7:30 PM
Tickets $20 - $35
*Link in bio

“With Her Own Wings” is a concert-length experience in music, art, film, light, storytelling, emotion, and the human condition, exploring the narrative of women in Iran and across the globe, spurred by the Woman-Life-Freedom movement which began in Iran in 2022. The concert is spearheaded by Iranian-American renowned painter and visual artist Taravat Talepasand and Iranian-American percussionist/composer Christopher Whyte, featuring new contemporary works from composers Anahita Abbasi, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, and Aida Shirazi.

The production is brought to life with stunning imagery and photography by Mario Gallucci, atmospheric cinematography and film projections by Padraic O’Meara, and innovative lighting and production design orchestrated by Solomon Weisbard.

“With Her Own Wings” aims to elevate the voices and talents of Iranian artists, particularly women, through a series of contemporary compositions for solo percussionist and immersive electronic soundscapes, interwoven with powerfully striking visual art, film, and light. This dynamic show traces the journey from sunset to sunrise, symbolizing the enduring struggle and resilience of women who have faced repression and highlighting the emerging generation of artists who advocate for change through the act of artistic expression.

“With Her Own Wings” is supported through the Creative Heights Grant @the_ocf from the Oregon Community Foundation and the Oregon Arts Commission @orartscomm

Please join us as we welcome all to experience the sounds and visuals of a people and movement that continues to fight for freedom. taken in Patricia Reser Center for the Arts by @artistvat

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3 months ago

👁️ ate.

A perfect way to end an unforgettable week,
going hard in the paint.

From the studio to our printed shirts, to adventures around Aspen, this workshop became so much more than learning how to paint. It became a community built around looking closely, trusting what we see, and having the courage to paint exactly what’s in front of us.

Thank you Jana @madebyjanayan our fantastic TA who seasoned the amazing vibe of this workshop. Thrilled that she got the chance to paint with us!

Like painting itself, seeing is an ongoing practice.

This is just the beginning.

Until next time, ily’allsm!

Shout out to my bestie @terryfp for his hand written message on our studio wall back in SF: paint exactly what’s in front of you💋❤️ taken in Anderson Ranch Arts Center by @artistvat

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4 months ago

“paint exactly what’s in front of you.”

What unfolded in this workshop over this week at Anderson Ranch Art Center was so much more than learning how to paint a still life.

These artists embraced color with courage. They learned to trust their eyes over assumptions, to understand the relationships between colors rather than reaching for formulas, and to take bold risks knowing that color has its own language.

Watching each painter find their confidence was one of the greatest gifts of teaching this workshop. Every day the studio grew louder with conversation, laughter, curiosity, and discovery. Brushes moved with more conviction, palettes became more daring, and each painting revealed a unique perspective on the world sitting directly in front of them.

By the end of the week, the transformation was undeniable. Not only in the paintings, but in the artists themselves. Our last painting was an ode to Anderson Ranch, a still life collection of the most incredible ceramics found around the Ranch.

The energy in our studio was contagious. So many people who wandered through Anderson Ranch commented on the joy, generosity, and excitement they felt just stepping into the room. It was a reminder that when artists commit to looking deeply and supporting one another, something truly special happens.

Thank you to each of you for your openness, your trust, your fearlessness, and for reminding me why I love teaching.

Keep painting exactly what’s in front of you. ❤️🎨 taken in Anderson Ranch Arts Center by @artistvat

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4 months ago

“paint exactly what’s in front of you.”

What an incredible week teaching Still Life in Oil: Color + Culture at Anderson Ranch Art Center.

There is something remarkable about witnessing what can happen when artists are given the time, space, and courage to slow down and truly look. In less than a week, this group created paintings that were thoughtful, ambitious, deeply personal, and, quite honestly, magical.

Still life has always been much more than the arrangement of objects to me. It is a way of seeing—of examining memory, identity, ritual, and the quiet stories embedded within the things we choose to keep close. Watching each artist discover their own visual language through color, observation, and personal narrative was an absolute gift.

Thank you to this extraordinary group for your trust, generosity, curiosity, and willingness to take risks. I learned just as much from you as I hope you did from me.

And thank you, Anderson Ranch, for creating a place where meaningful conversations and beautiful paintings can flourish.

✨ Here are just a few glimpses from an unforgettable week at the ranch. taken in Anderson Ranch Arts Center by @artistvat

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4 months ago

Iranian women showing up with love💕

Truly a gift and a full circle moment to create something so close to my heart at the university that once gave my family refuge. Sharing this and meeting the MFA cohort of three incredible Iranian female artists was proof that the universe serves us right.

Many thanks to everyone involved in this project, especially you azizam, Tannaz Farsi.

If you are in Eugene, stop by 510 Oak to view the CFAR banner : مبينمت (Eye See You)

#UOCenterForArtResearch #TaravatTalepasand by @artistvat

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5 months ago