Sepideh Dashti is a mother, interdisciplinary artist, art-based researcher, PhD student, and art
instructor based in Memphis, TN, USA.
At the core of her artistic practice lies a profound exploration of her visceral experiences,
navigating the interlocking systems of oppression such as patriarchy and racism and their impact
on female bodies denied agency. Through her body performances, video, photographs, text,
textiles, and installations, Dashti utilizes her diasporic lens to explore the intricate and
multifaceted gender and race-based challenges experienced by an Iranian immigrant woman.
These artistic expressions shed light on the continued contestation of her body, even after her
relocation, inviting audiences to confront the complexities of her lived experience. Her art serves as a vehicle for rediscovering, reinventing, and reinterpreting her cultural identity,
becoming a pivotal point in her exploration of diverse and heterogeneous contexts. She
appropriates dominant philosophies and technologies, interweaving them with her lived
experiences to create compelling and authentic artwork.
Generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
