ART + DESIGN SENIOR EXHIBITION
Bijan Keshmiri
BA Photography with a minor in Studio Art
ARTIST STATEMENT: I am an artist who creates portraits of people and objects. The collection of self-portraits that I created is titled “The Puzzle Gallery.” I am autistic and I choose the word puzzle to symbolize the power of autism. The puzzle piece represents the mystery and beauty of autism. It’s important for me to show what an autistic artist can do because we are creative, very persistent, and capable of pursuing our dreams.
My work is auto biographical. My creations express emotion. My self-portraits record my emotions such as my happiness, sadness, and anger. I’m influenced by Vincent Van Gogh. He created self-portraits and used contrasting colors. Both Van Gogh and I create backgrounds that have contrast of colors from light to dark. The clothing and objects that Van Gogh painted reflected his culture and time. Similarly, I create portraits that reflect my surroundings. For instance, I created a portrait of myself wearing a batman mask. This reflects my time in which batman is a popular, fictional icon and the mask shows that we are living in a pandemic.
My art sketches are in line with a long tradition of self-portraits. I create hair by first making marks and then filling in shadows. The shapes of the noses, ears, and eyes are abstract. My drawings use pastels to create a bright composition. Drawing myself is relaxing. It inspires and occupies my mind. Drawing is exercise for me as an artist. Being an artist is a lot of hard work, but it makes me courageous and strong.
