Mitra Fabian

San Jose, CA

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How would you describe your work?

I describe my work as (primarily) abstract sculpture, installations, and drawings that repurpose non-traditional media in order to examine the intersection between natural and built environments.

What inspires you?

So much! I am constantly fascinated by Nature- the life cycles of all living things, and the ways these beings adapt (or not), especially in the face of climate change. I'm also interested in what humans build and the ways we evaluate our exploitation of the natural world. This junction of Nature and human construct is so delicate and rarely seems to reach a state of symbiosis that I wonder if it really exists at all. Often, we witness catastrophic and ugly failures. Those moments when beauty and grotesquery collide are the ones that captivate me.

Can you speak about your process?

My process begins with an investigation of everyday materials- things that people make to serve a specific purpose, but not necessarily an artistic one. I try my best to cull materials that are local and otherwise destined for the dump, but also have some kind of aesthetic quality in terms of color, shape, or translucency. I have worked with materials such as tape, scientific glass, microfiche, window blinds, plastics, and most recently, resistors. When I settle on a material, I quite literally play with it- cut it up, pull it apart, and try to reconstruct it so that it becomes something entirely new and surprising. My goal is to make the material transcend itself in meaning and appearance. The forms allude to the natural world, but in an abstract manner.

How did you become interested in art?

I grew up with artful things and with parents who did art even if it wasn't their careers. Our home with filled with handicrafts from Iran, my native country, and I was always fascinated with our carpets, copper trays, and boxes with tiny mosaics. I have piles of drawings that I did as a kid, but I also "made sculpture" when I played in the backyard and made tiny cities with mud and sticks. It wasn't until college that I took a proper sculpture class, and that's when everything clicked. I fell head over heels with carving wood and welding steel. And that was that- I switched majors and never looked back.

Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books, or quotes?

Some of my art heroes are Eva Hesse, Lee Bontecou, Anne Wilson, Ann Hamilton, Chakaia Booker, Sol Lewit, Tara Donovan, Kate MccGuire, and Leonardo Drew. Some of my favorite books from the past decade are Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenedes, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Just Kids by Patti Smith, Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, and Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. But I also love dark family dramas or Scandinavian murder mysteries.

What advice do you have for younger artists?

Work, work, work, even if you think it's crap. Something good will come of it. Be honest, authentic, and interested in what you make. And keep a journal!! Documenting your process is so important.

Any more thoughts about art, creativity, or anything else you would like to share?

I teach college as my day job, and I always tell my students that artistic output is so important. It doesn't matter if you're going to major in art, or be an artist when you grow up. Art teaches our brains to think more creatively, and I think that can behoove you no matter what field you go into.