Artist Statement
I am an Iranian visual artist, living in the UK since 2021. For 29 years, I lived under a system that tried to erase my identity—both as a member of a religious minority community denied basic rights in Iran, and as a woman, forced to follow strict laws that controlled my body and choices. Even before I left Iran, I felt like I didn’t belong. That feeling only became more complicated after moving to the UK.
Art helps me process these experiences and understand them better. My work explores displacement, isolation, memory, and the traditions that shape who we are. While ceramics is my main material, I also use wood, sound, and performance to create sculptures and installations that tell stories. Clay, in particular, is important to me—it comes from the earth, making it a universal and accessible material. The slow and delicate process of hand-building mirrors the time it takes to work through emotions and memories. Its fragility reminds me of the uncertainty of belonging.
Taraneh Dana, performance at Copeland Gallery, London, 2022
My work often mixes personal stories with history and culture. Container for No-Land’s Soil imagines a place with no borders, where people like me—who have lost their homeland—can belong. This interactive piece invites people to help me create its soil, turning it into a shared experience. In a world where immigrants are often reduced to numbers, I want my art to bring back the human side of the story.
At its core, my work is about storytelling. Through sculpture, installation, and participatory projects, I want to start conversations about things that often go unnoticed. In a time of increasing division, I believe art can bring people together, create understanding, and help us imagine a world where everyone has a place.