Peyman Rahimi on War Trauma, Artistic Process, and Opposition to Military Intervention

Peyman Rahimi, an artist who experienced the Iran-Iraq War as a child and later served in the military to leave Iran, breaks his silence in an interview. He argues that military interventions are not solutions, stating it is naive to believe bombs bring freedom. Rahimi opposes both the Iranian regime and military attacks, noting other paths could have been taken earlier. He highlights the crucial role of Iranian women, who have fought for decades despite severe risks, and envisions a woman leading Iran. His art stems from war experiences, with recurring child faces in his paintings representing memories of conflict, ruins, and child soldier cemeteries. Rahimi creates installations using materials like wire, metal, and light, evoking protection and threat without directly depicting violence. He moved to Collenberg in the Franconian region, drawn to its dark history, including a former children's home and Hitler Youth presence. Rahimi describes feeling between worlds, with no clear homeland, missing specific sensory memories like Friday midday cooking scents in Iran.