Meet Keywan Tafteh | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Keywan Tafteh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keywan, is there something you believe many others might not?
There’s this conception that artists should always be creating. “Just keep making more work” was what professors in art school would shove down our throats whenever we asked for advice. It is important to find your voice and style as an artist, but to keep spitting out work has its limits. For one, burnout is real. Your work will suffer if one mindlessly creates. There has to be a balance of making art, and also all the logistic work that goes into maintaining a studio. Documenting each piece, marketing, networking, and writing are all essential to a successful practice.

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 do my best to avoid all the trends in the LA art scene right now. It’s heavily saturated with fluorescent, “happy-go-lucky” work. I don’t want to make work that is a distraction from reality, and because of that my work isn’t always pretty to look at. I want to challenge my viewers to feel heavy emotions.

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?
Some of my favorite art spaces right now are Reisig & Taylor Contemporary and Noon Projects. Reisig & Taylor are putting on impressive emerging artists and aren’t afraid to portray the dark and ugly. Noon on the other hand is a bright joy in Chinatown, with a queer-focused lineup of strong talents.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My friends who keep it real when I have questions about my work. The studio visits where I get solid critique are the moments my art grows.

Website: https://keywantafteh.com

Instagram: @keywantafteh

Image Credits
artist portrait @unaccountable6
Artwork by Keywan Tafteh