Artist Conversation #4

Artist Information

• Artist: Mahsa Soroudi
• Exhibition: Nature’s Cadence
• Website: https://www.mahsasoroudi.com

About the Artist

Mahsa Soroudi is an Iranian born artist and was raised in Tehran, Iran. She was brought up in a Muslim household and was raised by her mother and father, a painter whom she looked up to. She was introduced to different cultures through her travels through Asia and Hollywood movies. Soroudi soon got married and after a week both her and her husband left Iran to explore the world and find inspiration. They ended in Malaysia but settled there only for one year. Both then moved to the East Coast of US and then decided to settle in Southern California in Newport Beach.

Formal Analysis

Soroudi’s source of inspiration for her project Nature’s Cadence was through her plants she took care of when coming to the United States. In this project, she dealt with the ideal of resettlement by cutting and replanting her plants, specifically her succulents. She related to the plants with her homesickness from her motherland.

Content Analysis

Soroudi chose to base her project off of her dying plants because when observing her plants, she saw the strength and perseverance the plants went through especially when being moved to a new location. She thought that she would never settle in the United States, but when observing her succulents, she saw how they were growing their roots into the soil and related the growth to her personal growth being in a new country starting a new life. Just like how the plants adapted to their surroundings, she now looks up to the plants for inspiration to strive and succeed in the United States, especially when dealing with nostalgia and homesickness.

My Experiece

When reading and listening about her purpose for Nature’s Cadence, I was amused by the type art she chose to do. I didn’t think that using plants would be considered art. It amazed me how the idea came to her. She was sitting at home and found inspiration when she was looking at her plants. Anyone could say that they relate to a plant, but her reasoning behind it was beautifully explained. She relates the plants journey to her nostalgia and homesickness and I thought that made sense even when glancing at a dying succulent.