Meet Rah Eleh | Artist and Performer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Rah Eleh and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Rah, how do you think about risk?
My parents were war refugees and activists, setting a precedent for how leaping into the unknown can drastically impact one’s life and future. I learned at a young age that no risk meant no reward, as the truism goes, and I’ve spent my life emulating their courage by taking bold creative risks. While being an artist may seem relatively trivial compared to fleeing war, I believe that being an artist is a risk in and of itself because it is a life filled with precarity and unpredictability.
I have a very spontaneous and adventurous spirit that influences how I create art. I tackle difficult themes with humor and play, and I have never been afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone. Taking on significant risks becomes easier as one practices letting go of control. Some of the best artwork I’ve created resulted from embracing failure, encountering happy accidents, and experiencing outcomes not predicted at the outset. When I allow my imagination to wander and risk losing control, these incredible moments of realization and innovation flow more easily.
As artists, we must honor our story and voice, and there is a lot of risk involved in being vulnerable and open to criticism. I have always encouraged productive feedback and dialogue, and this has been invaluable to my growth as an artist and my career.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I recently met a woman who recognized me as “the girl who makes those weird videos,” [chuckles], this is how I want to be remembered. On a serious note, at the crux of my practice is a deep commitment to identity politics, and I use parody and humor to bring viewers into the conversation. What seems to stand out about my work, and what people often express after experiencing a piece, is how surprised they are by my ability to transform into multiple characters. Many people don’t realize that I perform all the characters in the work until I tell them. Viewers also appreciate the accessibility of the work, its poetics, and ambition, as I write the scripts, direct and produce the project, and then design and adapt the work into immersive pop-futuristic, multi-channel video and light installations.
I worked extremely hard to get to where I am today, and I still have a lot of hard work ahead to get to where I want to be. But nothing came easy and nothing came quickly. As a femme-presenting, woman of color, I have had to overcome many hurdles and have been undermined and underestimated. This means I have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously and to achieve my goals. Every day,I sit at my desk and I put in the work. I do this because I love and believe in my practice and view my role as a cultural diplomat who contributes to the discourse in a meaningful and thoughtful way. It took me some time to learn that my job is to just show up and do the work and not try to win viewers over.
I have also learned that it is hard to measure success as an artist because it’s not about money and wealth. For me, real success is about longevity. I have managed to keep my work actively circulating internationally for over thirteen years. I recently showed in Venice at the Biennale, and I am currently part of a group show at the Vögele Cultural Center in Switzerland with Marina Abramovic and Ulay–the godmother of performance art, how rad is that?! Each time the projects get stronger and the concept, script and performance more refined. I believe true success is about maintaining the practice and developing a body of work that is growing and evolving.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start the trip with a food tour in West Hollywood and a pit stop at A.O.C. followed by some people-watching and drinks on a garden terrace. One of my favourite things to do in in L. A is to hit up the taco trucks, so a taco truck tour day would be at the top of my list. I would then go to a comedy club to support some local talent
A couple of days would be dedicated to museum visits. Starting at the Getty because there is nothing quite like taking a tram up a hill to see a museum and to take in those epic views of L.A. I’d then go back to the city to check out a jazz bar. The following day would be a museum tour of The Broad and LACMA followed by Kebabs in Tehrangeles.
No trip to LA is complete without a beach day so I would drive up the coast and do a pit stop at Reel Inn Malibu for some fried fish, then stop by Topanga State Park to walk off the grease. Then I’d find my way back to Malibu to see some stunning estates, followed by a stroll on the piers of Santa Monica and down to Venice Beach to watch the sunset.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It takes a village to raise an artist, and I am fortunate to have many incredible people in my life who inspire and support me. My partner, Lilian, is my rock and foundation; she encourages my adventurous nature but also keeps me grounded. I am indebted to my dear friends and family for their unconditional support; I am lucky to be surrounded by people who are genuinely as excited about my achievements as I am. They also pull me out of dark periods of self-doubt and give me tough love when necessary.
I have the opportunity to collaborate with brilliant talent, including technicians, writers, and curators, all of whom have championed my practice. I want to give a special shoutout to the power couple, Ursula Johnson and Angella Parsons, for nominating me for the 2023 Sobey Awards. Their heartfelt letter reminded me of the importance of community and solidarity, and I was deeply moved by the peer recognition and their appreciation of my practice.
Website: http://www.rah-eleh.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elehrah/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rah.eleh.3/
Image Credits
Images courtesy of Artist Installation shots by Laura Findlay Installation shots Scott Lee Installation shots by Insight Imaging Photography Inc.
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