"Where Hope Grows" Painting

Niloofar Afshar – Artist Biography I weave tradition, memory, and emotion into my work, creating pieces that serve as bridges between the worlds I have lived in. Born and raised in Iran, I grew up surrounded by the intricate beauty of Persian patterns—ornamental tiles adorning buildings, elaborate motifs woven into rugs, and delicate designs in handcrafted artworks. These patterns were everywhere, but their significance deepened when I found myself far from home. My earliest exposure to art came from my mother, a talented realist painter who worked with oil paints. As a child, I watched in quiet admiration as she set up her canvas in the best corner of the room, put on elegant dresses, played music, and painted with a rare smile on her face. Painting was her way of expressing emotions that words could not. But life as a single mother in a difficult country took its toll, and she gave up painting when I was seventeen. Though deeply moved by her talent, I never had the courage to learn from her. Instead, I quietly sketched, crafted small clay sculptures of faces, and made paper dolls and dresses—designing entire collections for myself. At school, I excelled in art, with friends often seeking my guidance, but the realities of life led me away from it. Following a practical path, I pursued a career in computer science and IT, completing Microsoft courses in Iran before moving to the UK to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Security from Middlesex University. Despite my academic achievements, something always felt missing. Art never left me—it surfaced in sketches on the corners of notebooks, in small pieces I made for friends, and in the poetry I wrote to capture emotions I couldn’t express in any other way. Years later, when financial stability gave me the freedom to choose, I finally returned to art, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Art and Design from Unitec Institute of Technology in New Zealand. Yet, even after formal education, I felt something was still absent. Seeking a deeper connection to the heritage I had left behind, I studied under Persian pattern masters and rediscovered the visual language that had once surrounded me. Artistic Process & Medium My art is a dreamlike world where Persian tradition meets contemporary expression. I work with meticulously prepared materials, selecting handcrafted paper—often Japanese—and gluing it with starch onto illustration board, allowing it to dry for a week before it is ready for painting.