Rana Dehghan on Trauma, Ghosts, and the Blanket as Refuge
In an interview with Canvas, Iranian artist Rana Dehghan discusses how her upbringing in a strict Islamic society shapes her practice. Concealment and trauma manifest as ghosts and spirits in her work, a direct metaphor for the blanket she has used since childhood as a safe space to express herself. Her ghost sculptures include details like a cat, crying, blue material, and a reaching hand—each referencing this personal refuge. Cats appear frequently, linked to stray cats in Iran and her own four pets. Dehghan avoids artist statements, preferring viewers to interpret freely. Her upcoming project, emerging from therapy sessions, explores her innermost fears. The interview appears in Canvas 109: Smoke and Mirrors.
Key facts
- Rana Dehghan was raised in Iran, a strict Islamic country.
- She uses a blanket as a symbol of refuge and self-expression since childhood.
- Ghosts and spirits in her work represent her soul and trauma.
- One ghost sculpture includes a hand emerging, testing the waters.
- Cats are prominent, inspired by stray cats in Iran and her own four cats.
- She dislikes writing artist statements, preferring audience interpretation.
- Her current project is about her innermost fears, derived from therapy.
- The interview was published in Canvas 109: Smoke and Mirrors.
Entities
Artists
- Rana Dehghan
Institutions
- Canvas
Locations
- Iran