Kabul Utopia Painting

Manaz Raiszadeh tells abstract, visual stories that words themselves cannot express. A self-taught French-Afghan artist based in San Diego, California, Manaz explores the world around us through her own lens, sharing a global perspective rooted in identity as well as societal and lived experiences. Inspired by the places we have been and the stories we are told, Manaz's artwork brings her concepts to life, eternalizing them in a vibrant tapestry of gestural handstyle lettering and thoughtful color composition. With an architectural edge, her work is reminiscent of well-worn street art scenery — layered, scraped and reworked into colorful landscapes and connected narratives. Her intuitional style combines acrylic paint, oil pastels, paper collage and a variety of other mediums, bringing depth and texture to each piece. Born and raised in beautiful Normandie, France by parents from the forgotten streets of Kabul, Afghanistan, Manaz eventually made her way to sunny San Diego, where she works daily from her home studio. With a French edge, a Californian dream, and some hot, boiling Afghan blood, Manaz creates work to not only share her stories with the world, but to show gratitude to the universe.