April 2024 / Whispers of the Veiled Melody

Whispers of the Veiled Melody

Nasim Moghadam and Kiana Honarmand

April 04 - 27, 2024
Opening Reception / Thursday, April 04, 5–8pm

Spring Hours:
Friday–Sunday, 12–5pm

Whispers of the Veiled Melody is an exploration of the multifaceted experiences of SWANA women. Combining video projections, vinyl installations, and sculptures, Nasim  Moghadam and Kiana Honarmand weave a tapestry of personal narratives, cultural influences,  and societal expectations. Their interdisciplinary approach invites viewers on a journey of  introspection and reflection, fostering conversations about identity and heritage through their  distinct artistic voices. 

Nasim Moghadam is an Iranian-born art educator and a multidisciplinary visual artist. She holds an MFA in studio art from the San Francisco Art Institute and a BFA in graphic design from Azad University, Central Tehran. Her installations focus on discrimination and hyphenated identity, as well as the constraints on women, their bodies, and their voices. Using sound, video, photography, and multimedia sculptures of varying scales, along with materials that serve as constant physical reminders of femininity, Moghadam creates narratives inspired by the efforts of women worldwide who are defending their basic, unalienable rights. Envisioning another world, an equal world in solidarity, Moghadam celebrates how womxn go beyond cultural and political limitations, rise up, and create a revolution.

Moghadam has received awards from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, H. A. R. D. Foundation, and the Outstanding Graduate Award from the San Francisco Art Institute, along with fellowship and residencies at Recology, the Cubberley Artist Studio Program, Kala Art Institute, and Building 180. Her works have been published and featured in international festivals, including Italy and Japan, as well as in national museums and galleries, such as SFMOMA, San Francisco Art Commission, Museum of Craft and Design, Minnesota Street Project,  Kala Art Gallery, Southern Exposure, Aggregate Space Gallery, Root Division, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Photo Central, and Arion Press, among others. Nasim is an adjunct professor at California College of the Arts and Foothill College. 

Kiana Honarmand is an Iranian artist whose work delves into the complexities of her cultural identity, the violation of women's rights in Iran, and the Western perception of the SWANA identity. In 2012, she relocated to the United States to pursue her MFA at Penn State University. Currently based in the Bay Area, Kiana's work has been featured and reviewed in publications such as the Washington Post, Hyperallergic, Voice of America, and SHOUTOUT LA. Kiana’s art has been exhibited in numerous renowned venues nationally and internationally. These include the Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA; NUMU New Museum, Los Gatos, CA; VisArts, Rockville, MD; Moving Poets Novilla, Berlin, Germany; HAMZIANPOUR & KIA, Los Angeles, CA; Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA; Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL; Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA; Metal Museum, Memphis, TN; San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, CA; Lite-Haus Galerie, Berlin, Germany; and many others.