Badri Valian
Badri Valian (born 1977, Iran) is an Iranian-born American multidisciplinary artist based in San Francisco, California. Her work encompasses performance, installation, painting, and socially engaged practices, with recurring themes of gender, displacement, memory, and democratic struggle. She is particularly known for her politically charged artworks and participatory performances that address issues faced by women in Iran and the broader Middle Eastern diaspora.
Education and background
Valian was born in Iran and immigrated to the United States later in life. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Visual and Critical Studies at the California College of the Arts (CCA) in San Francisco.[1]
Artistic practice
Valian’s interdisciplinary practice draws from personal history and global politics. Her projects often explore bodily autonomy, intergenerational trauma, exile, and the impact of authoritarian regimes.
In her performance Third Abortion, Valian draws on her own lived experiences to comment on reproductive rights and gender-based oppression under Iran’s theocratic regime. The piece was presented as part of the exhibition My Body, My Choice at SOHO20 Gallery in New York in 2023.[2]
Her installation Democracy in Peril is an ongoing project reflecting on the erosion of democratic institutions in the United States and abroad. Another performance, In-Home Circus, explores memories of childhood and family rituals in Iran, combining storytelling, food, and interactive performance.
Exhibitions and recognition
Valian's work has been exhibited at several art institutions, including:
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), where she is listed in their artist network.[3]
- New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU), as part of the exhibition Boundaries, exploring identity and the notion of borders.[4][5]
- SOHO20 Gallery, as part of a feminist exhibition focused on reproductive rights.[6]
- Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA SF) and other public art spaces including the Clarion Alley Mural Project and Santa Fe Art Institute.
She is featured in the book Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran by Pamela Karimi, which documents the role of female artists in Iran’s contemporary protest culture.
Themes and influences
Valian’s work often centers the female body as a site of resistance. Her installations and performances are described as visceral and communal, often involving audience interaction to convey shared experiences of protest, trauma, and resilience.[7]
Selected works
- Third Abortion (performance)
- Democracy in Peril (installation/public art series)
- In-Home Circus (interactive performance)
References
- ↑ "Current Students".
- ↑ "My Body My Choice | Badri Valian".
- ↑ "Badri Valian".
- ↑ "Boundaries: The 4th Annual Experimental Exhibition | Exhibitions, Education, Art, Innovation, History, Bay Area, los Gatos". 19 July 2024.
- ↑ "Press Resources Events, Programs, Exhibitions— NUMU".
- ↑ "My Body My Choice | Badri Valian".
- ↑ "Art brings issues into focus at exhibit launch". 24 July 2024.
External links
References
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