Mariam Tafsiri’s illustrations explore questions of identity and the way in which it’s informed by her surroundings. An observer of people, her inspiration comes from both personal and impersonal sources.
“My main inspiration in art has always been people,” said the British-Iranian artist in an interview with Leik. “I’ve drawn portraits ever since I was young. I think that’s part of why I love miniature paintings because it captures people in very free-flowing positions and tells a story, unlike, for example, European paintings which were largely created to boast of the sitter’s wealth.”
But her portraits are also very much based on her cultural observations, inspired by Qajar art, Persian miniature paintings, and Islamic designs. “I wouldn’t say my work has a direct message – I don’t think it’s explicitly political through slogans and overtly political statements,” she says. “But I also think placing Middle Eastern individuals in a beautiful context is actually political in itself.”
As such, her illustrations challenge the Western notions of beauty. Portraying women with unibrows, Tafsiri’s characters are in direct dialogue with those found in Qajar art. “I think as a child, I found it quite confusing because it opens your eyes to the fact that beauty is subjective and not the objective standard that’s fed to us through popular media,” she reflected.
Follow her unique illustrations via Instagram.
