Asgharpour’s work explores the psychological and emotional aspects that surface in processing displacement, migration, and the emotional void of feeling uprooted. Her writings and illustrations complement each other in a poetic fusion to express such sentiments in narrative ways that can seem ambiguous or obscure at first glance, yet immerse the viewer into an atmosphere of wonderment and possibility. Her obsession with design and storytelling has always been a prominent directive in her creative works and translations.
“Immigrants face challenges that have long-lasting effects. Many Iranian students in the US have not seen their families for more than five years because of their visa situation. If there is a way to express the feelings rooted in those experiences, others might understand how immigrants feel about the world. I express the lack of a normal life next to my parents, culture, and the place where I grew up with my poem and with the creation of my works that originate from this emotional void. For me, taking photos of birds on trees, buildings, and wires could fulfill a feeling of emptiness. I had no idea that later, a part of my life could be similar to a migrant bird. Migration is the turning point in many birds' lives. I have always been amazed by their ability to withstand extreme weather conditions and lack of food. Responding to a particular subject can influence changes in one’s life. Poetically, when I immigrated, I faced all the hardships of a bird’s life as well. The artworks inspired by those birds on the wire are symbolic of my experiences as an immigrant.” -- Maedeh Asgharpour
