EVERYBODY GYM WALL ART
EVERYBODY is the radically inclusive gym + wellness center that is the first of its kind in Los Angeles, and quite possibly the world! Everything about EVERYBODY’s mission and values are perfectly aligned with my own mission at the SAVAGE MUSE design studio to work with clients and brands who are creating services, products and platforms that celebrate diversity and inclusivity.
I was asked to create a diverse and inclusive range of bodies in motion that represented the core values of the gym + wellness center. I included queer/trans/non-binary bodies, folx from a range of ethnicities/heritages and body types.
A shot of the back wall of EVERYBODY GYM with some of the diverse characters I illustrated.
Coming Out While Iranian: My Tastemade Cooking Show Debut
Can you imagine preparing, on camera, one of the most beloved and complexly nuanced/symbolic dishes of your country of origin—while sharing intimate and vulnerable details of not only your coming-out story, but of the subsequent challenges that have come with navigating the world of dating, family, and community as your intersectional queer self?
I was invited by Tastemade to take on this very unique challenge when I was asked to prepare Ghormeh Sabzi, one of the most iconic dishes of Iran (and dare I say the Persian Empire) while I shared stories about my journey as a queer, Iranian, Muslim-raised immigrant womxn.
This all came about when the Director of Original Series at Tastemade read the piece I wrote about coming out to my parents in the 90’s while cooking Ghormeh Sabzi (out of my tiny NYC kitchen) for a couple of queer Iranian friends who were visiting me from San Francisco. See full story here.
He invited me to come to Tastemade headquarters and do a full episode cooking show for a new series called Cooking With Pride, where I would share my stories with host Ingrid Nilson—while simultaneously showing her how to prepare Ghormeh Sabzi.
No. Big. Deal (!!!)
Ghormeh Sabzi is a very traditional Persian/Iranian dish that involves a lot of sophisticated and layered flavors from herbs such as fenugreek, parsley + cilantro; sour + earthy notes from fresh + dried limes (Limoo Amani) and spices like turmeric that meld together in a slow-cooked, savory and verdant stew that is served with a steaming plate of basmati rice.
For me, there was something poignantly symbolic about preparing this layered, complexly flavored, traditional dish on-air while discussing in detail some of the very complex, layered and vulnerable experiences I have had navigating the world as a queer, Iranian-American non-binary immigrant “outlaw” of sorts who came of age in the late 80’s/early 90’s within a tiny, Arizona-based Muslim community that was themselves considered “outlaws” by the larger Islamic communities and countries of the world.
During this cooking show, I share everything from my coming out story-to the awkward trauma around my first kiss—to where my desire has shifted to in terms of the gender(s) and orientation(s) I now date versus who I was dating in the early 90’s. All while preparing a dish that is a national treasure.
It has been a few weeks since the Tastemade “Cooking With Pride” episode I am on has aired. I have been surprised by the way the Iranian communities around the world have responded to this cooking show.
I have not received any negative or derogatory comments about the fact that I am a very out queer Iranian person who is not shying away from bringing visibility to folx like myself on shows like Tastemade. To me, this is HUGE and a sign that perhaps the collective conscience of the global Iranian communities are much more aware and accepting of the existence of Iranian LGBTQI within their local communities.
What I *have* been surprised by is the number of Iranians who have VERY PASSIONATELY engaged with the brief video clip posted on Tastemade’s Instagram page to proclaim that my Ghormeh Sabzi is not up to their standards and expectations (based on the brief clip showing how the dish was plated and presented on the show).
At first, I felt like I needed to explain to each Iranian viewer who commented that this is “TV” and that I didn’t literally whip up a complex dish that takes hours to cook in 21 minute…and that the finished dish they were criticizing so fervently was prepared by in-house chef/food stylists and shot for TV. Frankly, I thought the food stylist who prepared the pot of ghormeh sabzi for the camera did a fantastic job, considering it was her first time cooking a dish she had never seen or tasted before.
Once I got over the initial impulse to defend myself and the cooking show, I realized that the comments seem to come from a deep sense of pride and respect for the legacy of the Persian/Iranian culture and history. I was actually deeply moved by how strongly some Iranians felt compelled to police and criticize the way the Ghormeh Sabzi dish looked on air.
I know that for many Iranian families (including mine) who have had to flee their motherland for political and religious reasons, one of the only things they can hold onto and continue to nurture and pass on to the next generation(s) is the magnificent and unique Persian/Iranian culinary tradition.
For a scattered population of people, keeping the recipes and oral tradition of the motherland intact is equivalent to keeping the culture alive and well, despite wars, revolutions, displacement and reinventing yourself in a foreign land with foreign flavors.
I understand and have been deeply touched by all the Iranians (both living in Iran as well as the diaspora) who wanted to have their voices heard and who wanted to protect and honor the spirit of their motherland and history by commenting on the cooking video clip on Tastemade.
This only inspires me to want to create more cooking and culture videos where I can continue to explore and honor the stories, food and culture of a variety of intersectional people and communities around the world. Let us celebrate and keep alive the food, stories and heritage of our ancestors while we simultaneously showcase those individuals and movements today that are pushing boundaries and creating new language, culture and social movements.
DIME NAIL COLLABORATON
I designed both a multi-media window art installation (featuring tape art and a hanging mobile sculpture) as well as a collection of illustrated merchandise with the signature Savage Muse watercolor digital collage vibe. Kristin Dias-Gyimah, the owner + creator of DIME NAILS wanted her muse, Grace Jones and the LA nail culture to be my inspiration for this project.
Read moreHUFFINGTON POST REVIEW OF ART EXHIBIT FEATURING MY WORK
Close up of Parisa Parnian's multi-media piece titled "It's Complicated". On exhibit at SOMArts in San Francisco from Jan.26 - Feb. 22nd.
The Huffington Post recently wrote an excellent review of the ground-breaking Third Muslim group art show that opened at the SOMarts gallery in San Francisco on January 26th. Co-curated by Yas Ahmed and Zulfikar Bhutto, this show is giving a platform to queer/trans artists who have some connection to the Muslim world and whose lives have been deeply affected by the intersection of the different worlds and identities they must navigate.
Click on the link below to read an in-depth piece on what the Third Muslim show is about and to get a sneak peak at some of art, including one of the pieces I created for the exhibit, titled "It's Complicated". I will go into a more in-depth conversation around the pieces I created for the show in a different post. But for now, check out the Huffington Post article here.
PERSONAL CERAMIC PROJECTS
Although my professional career has predominately centered around fashion and apparel design, I have been passionate about ceramics for almost 15 years now. For me, ceramics has been yet another interesting medium to approach as a blank canvas to create art & designs on.
SAVAGE MUSE ABSTRACT ART PLATTER
This platter is a piece I painted on my birthday a couple of years ago. For me, going into a ceramic painting studio to paint all day is my kind of birthday celebration!
This platter is being featured on a new NBC TV show about crafting called "Making It" starring Amy Poehler-- I believe it will be airing this fall/winter.
CUSTOMIZED WEDDING GIFT CERAMICS
A wedding gift tradition I started about 15 years ago is to create customized ceramic pieces to reflect the love story and taste/lifestyle of the friends/family members getting married. I ask both of the people getting married a series of questions about how they met, their favorite food/dining experiences, favorite colors, travel spots, etc. Based on those questions, I choose a piece(s) of ceramic that is symbolic of their love/life and paint it to reflect their union.
AMOR Y ALMA WEDDING PLATTER
When my good friend and renowned Native Foods Chef & Healer, Felicia Cococtzin Ruiz of Kitchen Curandura was getting married a couple of years ago, I knew I wanted to create a special platter that she could use to serve special meals to her family for years to come.
I wanted to surprise her with the platter, so instead of sending her a questionnaire to figure out what kind of ceramic I should create for her, I took a look at her Instagram page and paid attention to what colors, patterns, and textiles she was using and featuring on her posts.
Based on the images, below, I came up with three different potential colorways and designs. I knew I would be limited by whatever paint colors and resources would be available for me at my local "ceramic painting" shop, so I didn't know until I went to paint the piece which of the three designs I would end up creating.
The final platter design reflects Felicia's Xicana/Latina and Native American heritage and the use of the Spanish words of "Amor Y Alma" which means "Love and Soul" were my way of honoring her marriage and wedding ceremony.
PROCESS OF PAINTING CERAMIC IN STUDIO
PLATTER FOR MAHFAM & CRISTOBAL'S WEDDING
When my Persian cousin, Mahfam (who owns an artisinal food/catering company called M.A.H.F) married her Chilean chef husband, Cristobal, I knew I had to design a platter for them that they could use for many years to come and feed family and friends their exquisite culinary creations. With a love of Spain and Spanish art from the mid-century as my inspiration, I created this bold platter as my offering to their love and union.
COFFEE MUGS ARE FOR MORNINGS IN BED
This pair of coffee mugs was designed for a beautiful couple who are good friends- she is a renowned film maker and he is a handsome actor. Their favorite romantic ritual is to share coffee with each other in bed every morning. Their favorites colors a blues and rust/oranges. They prefer more modern and geometric shapes.
OUM KALTHOUM: The Savage Siren
Click image to shop for Oum Kalthoum merchandise! Illustration by Parisa Parnian
Recently, I took a survey amongst my social network to see which Middle Eastern women were considered style icons, social distruptors & muses to them. Over a hundred comments later on my feed and the muses kept rolling in. I was both humbled and blown away by the rich herstory of fiercely talented and beautiful women who have broken boundaries, healed the hearts of their nations, and brought decades of inspiration to those they have touched with their lives' work and missions. Please note: I'm using the term "Middle Eastern" somewhat loosely here to include North Africa, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and all of the Arab-speaking nations.
One of the most iconic and celebrated of these women is Oum Kalthoum (also spelled Umm Kulthum). She was an internationally famous Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress active from the 1920s to the 1970s. She was given the name "The Voice of Egypt", but her music and her unique singing style has been mesmerizing the entire Arab world and beyond for decades now.
Iconic images of Oum Khaltoum/Umm Kulthum
“ Imagine a singer with the virtuosity of Joan Sutherland or Ella Fitzgerald, the public persona of Eleanor Roosevelt and the audience of Elvis and you have Oum Kalthoum, the most accomplished singer of her century in the Arab world. ”
— Virginia Danielson, Harvard Magazine
What I love about this singing diva of divas is that not only did she have a unique singing style, but she also had a very distinct personal sense of style. To me, she looks like an Arab goddess mashup of Roy Orbison (with her dark sunglasses), Jackie Kennedy (with her smart tweed tailored suit skirts) and Amy Winehouse (with her bouffant beehive hairdo).
I will be exploring Oum Kalthoum, her style and the impact she has had on generations of Arab/Middle Easterners in future posts. For now though, I leave you with this live performance that Beyonce did where the music she sampled is from an iconic Oum Kalthoumsong “Enta Omri” (you are my life), one of Kalthoum’s biggest hits and most famous musical pieces of all time in the Arab world. Though definitely a sexy way to start the show, Beyonce's use of Kalthoum's iconic music has been criticized as cultural appropriation and according to this Muslim Girl article "an orientalist nightmare".
And here is some (blurry) but amazing footage of Oum Khaltoum performing "Enta Omri" live many moons ago. I feel swept away be her voice and the rhythms of the music and beat. I can only imagine how the audience felt in her presence, allowing her voice and the hypnotic rhythms lull them into a trance-like state of ecstasy.
CELIA CRUZ: THE Savage Queen of Salsa
Mixed media: watercolor and digital illustration by Parisa Parnian
Until a few months ago, the most I knew about Celia Cruz, other than being familiar with a couple of her songs, was that she had an iconic sense of style and that her wigs were next level in their colors and designs.
Then, I stumbled upon the Netflix "Bio-Drama" loosely based on her life, and I fell in love with that woman and her story. I actually really enjoyed learning more about her younger years in Cuba, both the storylines around how she was discovered as a star, as well as her fateful romance that led to her marriage to the one and only lover in her life, Pedro Knight.
I related to her experience as a late teen/young adult who had been raised in a strict family with a rather religious and controlling father who was a bit wary of the moral implications of the budding fierceness that was arising within their daughters' young, ambitious and creative spirits. I also related to how Celia was viewed as unattractive and not the right aesthetic for the career she wanted to pursue as a singer. The racism within not just Cuban society but in the record industry was touched on quite a bit throughout the 80-episode series about Celia. Her dark skin and wide nose were seen as signs of undesirability at first and would have been a huge deterrence in her career, had it not been for the sheer magnificence and uniqueness of her voice and her exquisite talent as a singer and performer.
Images of Celia Cruz from the early years of her career.
