Naz Shahrokh

Naz Shahrokh (born 1969) is an Iranian-born visual artist and educator. She is a conceptual artist and has worked in many mediums, including Persian miniature painting, sculpture, site-specific installation, land art, and video art. Shahrokh lives in Abu Dhabi, and has previously lived in Paris, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn.

Early life and education Naz Shahrokh was born in 1969 in Tehran, Pahlavi Iran. She is the great granddaughter of Iranian politician and elected Zoroastrian representative, Keikhosrow Shahrokh. Naz grew up with a great respect for her Zoroastrian faith and for its associated traditions. She had a well-travelled childhood: 'I was born in Iran,' explains Shahrokh, 'but I left when I was four and moved to Paris. At age 11, I moved to Los Angeles, and at age 20 I moved to Brooklyn, New York.'

Teaching She taught fine art and art history at Pratt Institute, from 1998 to 2004. Shahrokh moved to Egypt in 2004, where she taught at the American University in Cairo until 2006.

Since 2006, she has served as an assistant professor of art and design at the College of Arts and Sciences at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Style and influences Due to her childhood travels and experience of different cultures, Shahrokh's work has many rich and varied inspirations. Her inspirations include: Persian miniature painting, 'Land art and earthworks, Minimalism and Conceptual art, and ephemeral Native American sandpainting'. Through her work, Shahrokh seeks to transform these disregarded and commonplace materials into something less ordinary. This deep connection with the natural environment is an important focus in Shahrokh's work. She created "Column Wall" in Abu Dhabi in 2010 - a very neatly stacked pile of the local 'National' newspapers 'collected over six months, intended to represent the tree that gave its life to produce it'. "Column Wall" could also be mistaken for a piece of architecture - it runs from floor to ceiling of a building, blending in with the surrounding walls and shadows.

Shahrokh makes social or political commentaries, but does not employ the shock tactics other contemporary artists often use. She raises awareness of important community issues, often relating to natural sustainability, through a painstakingly careful use of disregarded items and the peaceful regularity of the shapes and colours that she chooses. With its international influences and ancient philosophical inspirations, Shahrokh's art is a patient and methodical quest 'to be in harmony with her environment.'