UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The HUB-Robeson Galleries will be hosting “Decorum,” an exhibition of mixed-media artwork by Kiana Honarmand, in the HUB Gallery from May 27 to Sept. 11. A public reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. May 31.
Honarmand’s work focuses on issues related to her cultural identity, especially the treatment of women in Iran’s society, the male gaze, censorship and surveillance. These are difficulties that individuals living in Iran, especially women, must deal with on a daily basis.
Growing up in Iran, Honarmand felt stuck between tradition and modernity, as did many others in her generation. Iran had already been westernized before the 1979 revolution changed the culture to a more religious and traditional one. She explores and finds inspiration in the differences between the Middle East, where she grew up, and the West, where she lives now. Merging the imagery of her past with her new cultural environment allows her to address the Western perception of the Middle East.
Honarmand is a conceptual artist; all of the aesthetic and technical decisions she makes are driven by her concepts and ideas. She employs photography as her primary medium, but also includes sculpture, painting and collage as a means to convey her ideas. She also often incorporates a number of modern technologies, such as laser cutters, CNC routers, 3D scanners and 3D printers.
Honarmand moved to the United States in order to pursue her master of fine arts degree from Penn State, which she completed in 2014. She has exhibited her work both in the United States and internationally. Honarmand currently resides in Pennsylvania.
For more information on this and other exhibitions, contact the HUB-Robeson Galleries at 814-865-2563 or visit studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/artgalleries.