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Kiana Honarmand is an artist born and raised in Iran. Her work addresses issues related to her cultural identity, violation of women's rights in Iran, censorship, surveillance, and the Western perception of the Middle East. Derived from her interest in different materials and processes, Kiana’s interdisciplinary practice features the use of digital fabrication tools as well as traditional methods of craft. In 2012, Kiana moved to the United States to pursue and complete her Master of Fine Arts degree. She currently lives and works in the Bay Area. Her work has been exhibited in numerous venues including Metal Museum, Memphis, TN; San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, CA; Lite-Haus Galerie, Berlin, Germany; Lorimoto Gallery, Ridgewood, NY; 709 Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA; Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, Dayton, OH; Emerge Gallery, Greenville, NC; Verum Ultimum Art Gallery, Portland, OR; Laleh Gallery, Tehran, Iran; Root Division, San Francisco, CA; Fountain Gallery, Lafayette, IN; Spectrum Gallery, Centerbrook, CT; Rogers Gallery, Berea College, KY; Olin Gallery, W&J College, Washington, PA; HUB Robeson Galleries, Penn State University, PA; Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA.
Published on May 19th, 2022. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
I am excited to finally be able to get back to the projects that I had to put on hold during the pandemic due to losing access to the facilities I was using. The projects include a series of wearable sculptures made of layers of laser-cut felt. I also recently started a 4-month-long residency where I have access to a beautiful studio with a lot of space. I am excited for the opportunity to have the space to work on larger pieces for the next few months.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
Last year was a challenging year due to many limitations and lost opportunities. Being stuck at home was difficult emotionally, as well as professionally. For a long time, we were uncertain about how long the pandemic will last, and when we will be able to return to a sense of normalcy. I lost access to tools and places that I used for creating my artwork, as well as several exhibition opportunities. Those limitations pushed me to make changes in my studio practice in order to be able to continue creating new work. During this time, I had to work on projects that didn’t require a lot of physical space, with materials and processes that I could access at home. I had been thinking about creating video art for a few years, and being stuck at home allowed me to spend many hours on the computer, teaching myself how to edit videos. I also worked on a series of photographic collages that helped me process what was going on in the world.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
I was working from home for the past 1.5 years, and being stuck at home all day completely messed up my routine. I worked at different hours every day. I spent a lot of time working on the computer, including responding to emails, working on applications, writing, and video editing. I also worked on smaller projects that I could easily move from my dining table to the coffee table, working on them on and off at odd hours. I recently started a 4 month long residency, so for the first time in a while I am looking forward to falling back into a routine.
Studio Must haves: Coffee, Tea, Music, Audiobooks, and protein bars
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
One of the most helpful resources for me has been reading the book Art/Work by Jonathan Melber and Heather Darcy Bhandari. I had purchased this book years ago, but I started reading it in 2021. I was surprised by how helpful and thorough this book is. Art/Work is full of explanations, practical tips, and quotes about how different parts of the art world works. It covers many different and useful topics, from how to interact with different people in the art world, to grant writing, applications, and more. It is a must-read for every artist.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
At this point, I am excited about getting back into a routine in my new studio. Now that life is slowly going back to normal, I am also excited about meeting more people in my community and getting more involved in the local art scene.
I am working on a few projects including a series of wearable sculptures, and a video performance series. I am looking forward to finding out where my work takes me in the following year.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
I am excited to finally be able to get back to the projects that I had to put on hold during the pandemic due to losing access to the facilities I was using. The projects include a series of wearable sculptures made of layers of laser-cut felt. I also recently started a 4-month-long residency where I have access to a beautiful studio with a lot of space. I am excited for the opportunity to have the space to work on larger pieces for the next few months.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
Last year was a challenging year due to many limitations and lost opportunities. Being stuck at home was difficult emotionally, as well as professionally. For a long time, we were uncertain about how long the pandemic will last, and when we will be able to return to a sense of normalcy. I lost access to tools and places that I used for creating my artwork, as well as several exhibition opportunities. Those limitations pushed me to make changes in my studio practice in order to be able to continue creating new work. During this time, I had to work on projects that didn’t require a lot of physical space, with materials and processes that I could access at home. I had been thinking about creating video art for a few years, and being stuck at home allowed me to spend many hours on the computer, teaching myself how to edit videos. I also worked on a series of photographic collages that helped me process what was going on in the world.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
I was working from home for the past 1.5 years, and being stuck at home all day completely messed up my routine. I worked at different hours every day. I spent a lot of time working on the computer, including responding to emails, working on applications, writing, and video editing. I also worked on smaller projects that I could easily move from my dining table to the coffee table, working on them on and off at odd hours. I recently started a 4 month long residency, so for the first time in a while I am looking forward to falling back into a routine.
Studio Must haves: Coffee, Tea, Music, Audiobooks, and protein bars
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
One of the most helpful resources for me has been reading the book Art/Work by Jonathan Melber and Heather Darcy Bhandari. I had purchased this book years ago, but I started reading it in 2021. I was surprised by how helpful and thorough this book is. Art/Work is full of explanations, practical tips, and quotes about how different parts of the art world works. It covers many different and useful topics, from how to interact with different people in the art world, to grant writing, applications, and more. It is a must-read for every artist.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
At this point, I am excited about getting back into a routine in my new studio. Now that life is slowly going back to normal, I am also excited about meeting more people in my community and getting more involved in the local art scene.
I am working on a few projects including a series of wearable sculptures, and a video performance series. I am looking forward to finding out where my work takes me in the following year.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Cholula.
Find Kiana Honarmand on Instagram.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Cholula.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Cholula.
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Cholula.