This series of works began one afternoon as I was looking at my friend and told her that she resembles the princesses of the Qajar dynasty. Though much fairer than the Qajar beauties, my friend shared similar qualities like a round face, almond shape eyes, arched brows, and fair skin. We both agreed the resemblance was there and so I asked her permission to paint her as a Qajar princess. After I finished the painting I felt like I want to do more of this. I started to create portraits of people I know with Persian ancestry and portray them as fictional or historical characters of Iran. In each portrait lies similarities that connect the two persons. Through this connection I remind myself – and the audience – that my Persian heritage transcends itself into my life as an American.
