Toktam Tayefeh

www.tokt.am
toktamart@yahoo.com

Born in 1968 in Tehran, Iran, Toktam Tayefeh now lives and works in Beverly Hills, California.

After finishing her BFA, Toktam began experimenting with computer art and photography, and now, two decades later, she continues to create compelling and thought provoking works from her photos.

When looking at a work by this multi-disciplinary artist one feels as if one is entering the zone between waking and sleep. Through her paintings on canvas and her high-tech digital images, Tayefeh projects a sense of otherworldliness sparking the viewer’s imagination to wander through the realm of the artist’s own dream space. Her works speak quietly to the viewer, beckoning the eye with peaceful rhythms and a gentle sense of energy and movement. As they delight the eye, they soothe the spirit, speaking directly to the heart in the language of truth, beauty, integrity and individuality.

Relying almost completely on her imagination and rejecting the constraints of traditional art, Toktam Tayefeh prefers to think of herself as a “creator” rather than an “artist” or “photographer” and her work, which creates as much of a calming ambiance as it does a beautiful object, reflects this sentiment.

Artist Statement: “I always felt great when creating something from my imagination. It was the perfect escape from so many unwanted things or events in my life. Perhaps the most important artist in my life was my mom. Watching her painting on canvas and creating a lot of different things, I was inspired to take up drawing and, the truth is, pretty soon I was good at it. Even my biology teacher was so impressed with my drawings, that she gave me extra credit. That was the day I could see my reflection in a new mirror. I don't have an obsession about techniques, traditions and regulations. Creation is my language. When I paint or capture a moment, it's my goal to express something. I never copy myself or another artist, but I get inspired by life around me. I am moved by humanity, freedom, honor, courage, integrity, individuality and truth. My belief is that when you connect with an artwork, you are connected to that thought and to that artist.”

Education: 1993 BFA Al Zara University of Art, Tehran, Iran
2008 C.I.D. Certified Interior Decorators International, Florida USA

Exhibitions and Festivals (1993-2009)

Beaverton Arts Commission, Beaverton, Oregon
The Rental Sales Gallery of Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon
The New York Film Festival, NY, New York New York Film Festival, Miami, Florida
Silicon Valley Open Studio, Morgan Hill, CA Mushroom Mardi Gras, Morgan Hill, CA
Lojart Gallery, Morgan Hill, California Agora Gallery, New York, New York

Private Collections: The Babakhani Family, The Setoudeh Family, The Jali Family, The Bahar Family, Mr. Patrick O'keeffe, The Kobari Family, West Lake Village, CA, Neda Norouzi Family, San Mateo, CA, The Ebrahimi Family, Beaverton, OR, Mr. Mike Skilman, Portland, OR
Mrs. Gilda Sabahi, Portland, OR, The Sabahi Family, Orange County, CA, The Shahidzadeh Family, Beaverton, OR, The Yazdani Family, Portland, OR -- And much more.

Murals: A Children's Garden, Morgan Hill, CA The Yoga Mama Studio, West Lake Village, CA

* None of the artworks may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Artist