Interview with Lida Arzaghi — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Lida Arzaghi is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist mainly work in Textile and Fiber Art. After graduating in Graphic Design & Multimedia from the University of Worcester in England, she started a new journey in photography. After few years of experimentation, she started her master’s degree in contemporary photography and philosophy in the University of the Arts London: Central Saint Martins. Where she embarked on experiencing with different mediums and expressions.
She pursues an extensive array of interests and studies (mind: conscious and unconscious, culture, memories, everyday sentiments and more) which inform and feed her artwork and yet open to any new experience and opportunity.
Lida continues to show her works in well known galleries like the Tate Modern (Tate Exchange) and many other exhibitions through England, Italy, Iran, Croatia …

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

I am an introverted and overthinking person that mesmerised by unseen aspects of the world. Regarding Art, I pursue an extensive array of interests and studies (mind: conscious and unconscious, culture, memories, everyday sentiments, and more) which inform and feed my artwork and yet open to any new experience and opportunity.

How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?

The process begins with immersion in a specific topic, research information and attempt of studying it from various sides. After pondering for a while and determining material, form, colour and texture, I begin to create. However, I still am open to some changes in this stage as I believe in evolving during the making process.

When do you think your most prolific time of day or week is?

Silence of the night is very inspirational for me. I feel my mind and body are more sensitive to sounds, thoughts and sensations during this time.

What is a barrier you as an artist overcame? Is there anything that enabled you to develop your work as an artist in your life?

Criticism was the main mental challenge for me. I think Everyone who has ever engaged in a creative process has experienced this fear. When you put all your essential thoughts and feelings into an artwork, you want to get a positive reception. But you can’t please everybody, so it’s crucial to separate yourself, emotionally, from the artwork and don’t take every critique to heart. It’s important to think what was constructive about the criticism and what wasn't. Through the years, I’ve learnt to keep a level head and look at the criticism as a vehicle for growth. As Aristotle said, "There's only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing." Similar to a proverb in the Persian language says, “An unwritten dictation has no errors.”

Passion for searching in the inner world led me to develop my point of view both in the art field and personal life. As I believe art and creativity are so tangled with everyday life and any experience and change in one has a direct impact on the other.

Did you have an idea of what you wanted to create right from the beginning?

Usually, I have a broad vision of the piece I want to create, before starting to make it. However, I keep myself open to any Improvisation. As I believe, both logic and emotions are needed for creating artwork and the purest form of emotion only occurs in the moment of creation when you feel the material and all the making process with every fibre of your being.

What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work? We’re curious what the narrative or story is to what you are producing?

Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated with watching people passing by
And guess their life stories. How are their lives? Their suffers? Dreams? relationships? family? How do their friends feel about them? How do they spend their time? .... observing people’s behaviour conveys a lot of information about their insights. But the interesting point is that all these are rooted in our unconscious mind and as appose to what we think, it’s not under our control. As many psychologists and neuroscientists believe, childhood memories greatly impact our future, shape our characters and even affect our physical and emotional health. It was then that I thought about the story behind my thoughts, emotions, fears and personality and started to narrate my journey of self-discovery in my artwork. Then, step by step developed.

Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?

Studying metaphysics and doing daily Buddhist spiritual meditation for more than 10 years have been inspiring to me and take me away from the hectic lifestyle.