Azita Lashgari Closer

I was born in 1961 in Iran and attended a French Catholic school in Tehran. I left Iran at the age of fifteen and have been on the road ever since. I have lived on five continents and had the pleasure of immersing myself in many cultures and assimilating myself through architecture, art and literature. I am a registered architect in Washington state and have worked and designed in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Germany.

Art has been with me all my life since I started graffiti on walls in the 1970s. I was inspired by different themes, from the women’s fight in Iran to the traditional polo game in Afghanistan, from the landscapes of Mauritius’ to forests and alleys in Iran and alleys in Germany. The ribbon that connects all the motifs of my inspiration is light and how it reveals secrets. I am fascinated by the reflection of light on different subjects – from faces and clothes to plants and mountains. I usually stay with a topic for a while until a series is created that explores the depth of that topic and tells a story or reflections on a thought and some of its facets.

I think painting is the most expressive form of communication of thoughts and feelings. With a look at a painting you can read the feelings of the painter and the scenes, and yet it is a very personal communication, since it can take on many different facets depending on the interpretation of the work by the viewer. The painter achieves the mastery of this art if the painting can speak the language of the painter’s soul.

I admire artists who have reached a mastery level where they can play by the rules, break them if necessary, and follow them at will. Among many I find Manet, Matisse, Gerhard Richter, Bahman Mohasse and not least Picasso.

At the moment I mainly use oil, as it makes me feel most comfortable for portraits and the human body. I also worked with acrylic, ink, watercolor and charcoal. For three-dimensional works I made bronze casting as well as paper macher and plaster.

I have always believed that artists inspire society to move forward, either by reflecting the undesirable and painful of what is, or by pursuing new horizons and dreaming of the beauty they have to create.