Intimacy, sexuality, ecstatic beauty, and the exploration of otherness are central to my art. I juxtapose materials, surfaces, colors, images, textures, and space to express my point of view.
Growing up as a gay, Iranian-American teenager in the tumultuous 1980s left me with a lasting sense of separatness. In the aftermath of the hostage crisis, the rise of Christian fundamentalism, and the early days of the AIDS epidemic, my sense of existential alienation was profound. My ability to pass as a straight, white, cisgender kid in a hostile, heteronormative world kept me with a feeling living undercover.
My work often employs the use leather and porcelain. Leather is an organic and sensual material. Its incorporation conveys the theme of sacrifice, echoing the profound role of redemption within the Judeo-Christian tradition, which is a focal point of my practice.
Recently, I've taken inspiration from the world of fashion, drawn by the undercurrents of fetishism, violence, and the dynamics of exclusivity versus inclusivity. This confluence drives my art as I continue to explore the complexities of human relationships.