We had the good fortune of connecting with Azra King-Abadi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Azra, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I made the decision to pursue a creative career because from a young age I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Like most children I had interest in many subjects. I wanted to be an anthropologist or to study space in some capacity, but those ideas never went anywhere. I loved to draw and my parents always supported me and so I was placed in a lot of art classes throughout my childhood. When I was graduating high school and trying to choose post-secondary education all I wanted was to create art! I found that theatre was the place where I could combine many artistic interests, and lighting specifically is like painting on the stage. Overtime I have found myself sometimes wondering about those other pursuits I never followed, but the thing about good art is that all other interests feed into it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I always try to design with meaning. Often I follow the emotional or psychological state of a character and try to visually represent that onstage. I got where I am today by not giving up. Being an artist, a freelancer can be hard, being an immigrant can be hard, you just keep trying. Keep meeting new people and something will come from it. You can’t make things happen alone in a vacuum, it’s good to find people to collaborate with.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but I absolutely love the Griffith Observatory. You can enjoy the surrounding nature and the amazing view of Los Angeles, but I love the Observatory itself. The architecture and interior design of this almost 100 year old building is great to look at. I always enjoy exploring the exhibits. It’s fun to see some very old exhibit design, and the newer updates they’ve implemented; like the timeline of the universe they have represented by star broaches (a great example of creativity coming out of a lack of financial resources). When there, I am transported to childhood reading and participating in the scientific displays. Plus, I have always loved a planetarium! This one is particularly special because they still use live narration, whereas most use a pre-recorded voice. It’s nice to go in the afternoon, then watch the sunset and after observe the lighting design of the building and courtyard as the fog rolls in at night. And don’t forget to see them turn on the Tesla Coil!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Of course I owe my parents everything. I shout out the Cal State Long Beach faculty and students I studied with. And my fantastic professors from Concordia University, Montreal. Ashley Miller http://www.ashleymillerart.com/, Danila Korogodski Eric Mongerson, David Jacques, Ana Cappelluto, Harry Standjofski, etc… Some books that were a big influence were; The Open Door : Thoughts on Acting and Theatre by Peter Brooke, The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell (can also be found as a video interview series by PBS), Light Fantastic by Max Keller

Website: www.azrakingabadi.com
Instagram: azrakingabadi_design
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azra-king-abadi-21181a21/
Twitter: @OzraKA

Image Credits
1-Azra King-Abadi 2-Philicia Endelman 3- 4-LILY BARTENSTEIN 5-Jamie Pham 6-Zach Mendez 7-Kip Polakoff