VOAF 2026

Sepideh Habibnattaj is a visual artist currently based in Vancouver, BC, where she works from her cozy home studio. Originally from Iran, her journey as an artist began in childhood, fueled by an early fascination with painting. She studied graphic design in high school, followed by a Bachelor of Arts in Painting at university of Guilan, where she first explored academic realism before gradually discovering her own expressive style. Deeply influenced by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, Sepideh’s work merges personal emotion with cultural symbolism. Her early pieces depicted self-portraits—long hair covering her face— set against intricate Persian patterns, a quiet rebellion against the hijab she was forced to wear in Iran. Over time, her work evolved into more symbolic compositions, including a series called Chimera, where human forms merge with animal heads, exploring the shared instincts and emotions between humans and animals. Another key theme in Sepideh’s work is memory—particularly how it fades. In a university illustration class, she began creating imaginary fish, intrigued by their fleeting memory span. This became the foundation for The Fish Memory collection, where she uses cardboard, wood, and ink to portray emotional fragility and the transient nature of thought. Sepideh has held multiple exhibitions across Iran and has sold artworks to cafes, restaurants, and private collectors who resonate with her unique voice. Today, she continues to develop Chimera and The Fish Memory as parallel collections, each reflecting her ongoing exploration of identity, resistance, and the subconscious.