About Anahita Ghazanfari

Art has always been something that I have been instinctively drawn to. My love for art developed from growing up with an archaeologist father who has a passion for artistic artifacts. He believed that self-knowledge comes from an understanding of one’s past, and encouraged me to learn, understand and appreciate the country’s culture and traditions. We traveled around the country visiting museums, reading a lot of history books and poems. We listened to a lot of folk music at home. These experiences still feature prominently in my artworks today. After high school my constant calling and need to create things led me unexpectedly, yet happily, to Elm O Farhang University. I studied art there for 4 wonderful years before receiving my BFA in painting, in 2003. Being around other creative people during my college years helped me find and nurture my artistic voice - though that is a journey I still consider myself to be on. my father presented me with a life-changing gift of an analogue camera. This was the beginning of the most exciting and fulfilling journey of my life. Through my camera lens, I learnt to search, study, and see beyond the obvious. Photography became my media of artistic expression. I branched out into new mediums such as developing negative” film” and exploring the magic of manual photo developing. To me, artwork transcends medium. Camera and brush can complement with magnificent synchronization to create a breathtaking masterpiece that tells a wonderful poetic story. I find both photography and painting to be powerfully evocative in their own unique ways, and I always aim to make the best synergizing of both mediums. After I received my Bachelor of Arts in Painting, I proceeded to pursue a Master of Illustration at one of the best art universities in Iran. While doing my Master's, I taught art part-time and imparted the skills and knowledge I gained from my experienced professors to my young students. I moved to Malaysia to expand my horizon and see art from a perspective beyond my country. Living in the melting pot of culture and diversity, I met a lot of people from all walks of life, who taught me a lot more about art and inspired me in various exciting ways. I participated in international group exhibitions where I met artists from around the world and shared their experiences. I also worked with an international university which focuses on art and creativity, and had the opportunity to meet some of the most innovative and artistic young minds from around the globe. My love for art grows each day with each brushstroke, click and inspirational moment. I have learned to see the world through inquisitive eyes, where everything can present itself as a still to be captured on camera. A depiction is a moment of time captured and frozen in eternity. I do continue my life working and living in Turkey at the moment. The country which is so close to home historically and geographically yet has its own character in art and culture which gives me the opportunity to explore more and more and be able to expand my art freely to other parts of the world. I believe that art has the power of showing the soft side of the world to people. As an artist having a worldwide audience is a plus and of course I do love to be able to sell my works to people whom I have never met and might never came across in my life and that only happens when I can be part of the largest community which help me to get closer to my audience. In this journey I definitely need help and I think Artfinder is a great community that I could be part of because of the commitment and good reputation in art world. It would be a pleasure to be part of Artfinder as an artist and experience the best way of connecting to the world through my art.