Statement
I am a painter and an interdisciplinary social practice artist who channels her own challenging life experiences into thought-provoking, interactive projects. Working with marginalized and underrepresented individuals, I explore themes of identity, displacement, trauma, and empowerment. My projects often culminate in painting-installations that serve as a visual representation of the performance process, offering a tangible expression of the journey undertaken during the interactive performances.
Bio
Badri Valian is a painter, social practitioner, public performer, and participatory interactive installation artist based in San Francisco. Born and raised in the mountainous central region of Iran, her life was profoundly impacted by the Islamist government that took control of the country after the 1979 revolution.
Badri’s maternal indigenous Kurdish roots trace back to Kurdistan, near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. Her family was displaced to central Iran, carrying a deep intergenerational trauma that contributed to her mother’s lifelong battle with severe depression and psychosomatic muscle spasms.
At the age of 11, Badri discovered the power of sports and physical activity, using them as a means to spend more time outside her home. Playing volleyball professionally empowered her to support her family emotionally, particularly during the period when her mother became completely paralyzed due to depression.
In her early 20s, after earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Badri became a national mountain climbing team member in Iran, embarking on expeditions in the Himalayas, including around Everest and Annapurna.
Experiencing the censorship, gender discrimination, and inequality in Iran—juxtaposed with her life in the U.S.—Badri felt compelled to use her art as a platform to amplify her voice and those of underrepresented communities. Just last year, her interactive art projects were displayed in numerous galleries and venues, including the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA) and the Kyoto Museum in Japan. Her video Flamenco with Stars was commissioned by Jim Campbell Studio and showcased atop the Salesforce Tower for the entire month of March in celebration of immigrant women.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) exhibited her installations last summer and provided opportunities for her to perform several interactive projects, including Detained Imprints and A Cup of Tea. Detained Imprints caught the attention of a scholar researching art and resistance in Iran, and Badri was featured in the scholar's upcoming book Women, Art, Freedom: Artists and Street Politics in Iran, now available for pre-order on Amazon.
Badri has received prestigious recognition, including the ''Daughters of the American Revolution'' award for her advocacy for democracy through art. She is also a finalist grantee of the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC), the Impact Award from the Center for Art and Public Life (CAPL), and the Ted Purves Award for her social practice activities.
Identifying as an artist in exile, Badri dreams of one day presenting her artwork in her homeland of Iran, free from censorship and consequences. Currently, her large-scale painting We Were Only Kids is on display at the NUMU Museum in Santa Clara County and open to the public.
