Los Angeles, CA
As an Iranian immigrant to the USA post 9/11, Shagha Ariannia regards political and cultural identity as a site on which to play and struggle. Through drawings, paintings, and video she considers the ironies of war, participation in state-sanctioned ideologies, and the Du Boisian notion of "double consciousness," reflecting the constant reconciliation of two often-opposing cultural vantage points. While at Bemis, Ariannia plans to continue this work and further explore her own sense of identity as an Iranian immigrant, challenges of diversity, race, belonging, and citizenship.