Iranian-American painter shows work in exhibit
EDMOND — Behnaz Sohrabian's goal is to communicate with people through her paintings.
“I think I want to say something through these compositions, through these lines and visual elements. Even when I choose the title, I try to choose a good title that is a match or suitable for the painting, for the composition, for the concept,” she said in a spring interview.
The Iranian-American artist is exhibiting a selection of her work this month at the Edmond Fine Arts Institute, 27 E Edwards, in her adopted hometown. Opening with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, the exhibit will feature about 20 paintings, including abstracts, still life pieces, landscapes and portraits.
“These days, I'm obsessed with portraits,” Sohrabian said during an interview at her Edmond home. “I think women are complicated. To, me, women are so strong, and they are so sensitive. They are so delicate, but they are so strong. I see it in Iranian and American women.”
Born and educated in Tehran, Sohrabian grew up steeped in the vibrant artistic traditions of her home country. At an early age, her mother recognized her talent and passion for art, and Sohrabian started taking lessons at age 10. After high school, she initially attended nursing school and then received her bachelor of science degree in applied chemistry.
“At that time, I just wanted to draw and paint. I didn't have any idea to display my drawings,” said Sohrabian, who went on to pursue a bachelor of arts in painting and a master's in art studies.
In 2010, Sohrabian was ready for a change. She was working as a teacher and artist, but she also was newly divorced, a single mother to two daughters and concerned by Iran's questionable and controversial 2009 presidential
election. So, she moved to Oklahoma with her older sister to start a new life.
In Oklahoma, she has continued to develop her distinctive painting style, and she became a U.S. citizen in 2017.
The painter's sweeping brush strokes and rich color choices are recognizable regardless of the subject matter, but she is arguably best known for her portraits, especially of women.
“My work is about me, about being a woman and giving voice to the many challenges that women face in this era. I paint women as strong individuals free to express their feminine power and vision for a better world. I paint women as delicate and sensitive, but never weak. The people and natural world that I paint are manifestations of love, the highest expression we know in this life,” she said in an artist's statement.