As a self-taught artist, Arash first recognized his creative drive via charcoal pencil on his parents' walls, like many inspired young artists. By 14, his capacity for detailed visual interpretation became undeniable. Learning became enjoyable from that point forward in his life, and he continued to develop his creativity by being interested in the wood-inlaying technique conceptually through his diligent studies while his parents were always planning for him to pursue an engineering degree. 

        "It was a hot summer, and my older brother had a special tutor who came home to teach him wood inlaying in person. As a child, he did not want me to learn it, so he locked the door while the tutor was teaching him, but I loved art, and nothing could stop me from wanting to do it. So, I looked through the peephole, put my ear on the door, and listened carefully to what the tutor told my brother. When my brother was not in his room, I went there and searched for wood scraps, broken blades, and some of his stuff in the trash bin and started to practice by myself every day," Arash says. His creative mind armed him with additional techniques in woodcarving. This blending of disparate influences and media is visually apparent in Arash's works, demonstrating a broad knowledge and appreciation of the human form and the colorful world these beings occupy. As a student, he also learned how to frame art while working part-time in a small frame shop. It helped him create the desired art environment when he could not find a frame for some of his unique art pieces.

        Arash earned an award as the "2018 Best Salt Lake City Artist", and 1 of Arash's pieces, from a field of more than 250 artists, was featured in Salt Lake Tribune. His artworks were displayed at Southam Gallery Fine Art, Allentown Art Festival, Manayunk Arts Festival, Park City Art Festival, Utah Art Festival, and Jewish Community Center. He interviewed PCTV and Utah Art Alliance.

       Arash explains, "Inspiration to make a piece begins with a visual expression of what I see and personal influences. As I consider the image, a mystery calls me by sending me an invitation to make a piece out of it, listen to its whisper, discover, live with it, and love it. There is an interaction between me, the subject, and all the underlying influences. In my mixed media, or wood-inlaying art pieces, I want the surface to be full of life, and I have developed a layering technique in many of my artworks that include drawing in the background to form an underlying structure for the wood in the front. These elements combine to generate the setting for the subject. Selection of wood colors and texture addition to the woods continue until I feel a sense of harmony between these physical components and the evocative aspects of the subject being depicted."

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Cheers,

Arash