Public Art
Taravat Talepasand |
Ongoing
Peace in the Middle East refers to the translation of the word “peace” in Farsi “صلح” sculpted with neon. It was originally included in YBCA’s Bay Area Now 8 exhibition, on view from September 7, 2018, through March 24, 2019.
Grand Lobby, YBCA
Taravat Talepasand
b. 1979, Eugene, Oregon
Lives in and works in Portland, Oregon
Peace in the Middle East, 2017/2022
Acrylic and spray paint, plywood
Courtesy the artist
Taravat Talepasand is an artist, activist, and educator whose labor-intensive interdisciplinary painting practice questions normative cultural behaviors within contemporary power imbalances. As an Iranian-American woman, Talepasand explores the cultural taboos that reflect on gender and political authority. Her approach to figuration reflects the cross-pollination, or lack thereof, in our Western Society.
Lead image: Taravat Talepasand, Peace in the Middle East, 2017/2022, installation view, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 2022. Courtesy Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Photographs by Tommy Lau.
Peace in the Middle East’s presentation at YBCA is organized by Martin Strickland, Director of Curatorial Projects & Public Experience with assistance by Fiona Ball, Manager of Curatorial Practice & Public Experience, Yoni Asega, Co-Head Preparator, and Bella Manfredi, Senior Preparator. Fabrication by Rebel Neon.