Our next artist spotlight is San Jose-based artist, Pantea Karimi. If you've visited San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles in the new year, you may have viewed Pantea's solo exhibition The Forgotten Women of Science. The show featured lesser-acknowledged female scientists from ancient times to the nineteenth century, and their contributions to their respective fields. Ada Lovelace, Hypatia of Alexandria and Mary Ward were highlighted to name a few.

San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles celebrates this exhibition as a way to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage. Read more about Pantea and her process here:

What are the materials and processes utilized in your body of work?

I usually work with prints: digital (illustration) and manual (silkscreen and monotype). I enjoy working with interactive installation and various substrates such as paper, fabric, wood and metal. Some of my works also use mixed-media techniques, such as silkscreen combined with ink or watercolor.

Describe the main differences of your 'old' studio to your 'Shelter in Place' studio.

The main difference is the (limited) set-up and tools.

What do you do when you get "stuck" in your creative process? Where do you turn for inspiration?

I take a break from the subject for a few days. I do different things, for example, I read online articles, or watch TED talks that are relevant to my work, process, or content. Usually this helps to get inspiration and a fresh perspective towards the subject.

What artist, who works in a different medium, informs your practice?

I am influenced by the works of modern avant-garde artists. In terms of abstraction and arrangement of my own forms, I draw inspiration from the Russian Suprematist artists El Lissitzky (1890-1941) and Kazimir Malevich (1878-1935). These artists were in search of a style of abstract painting based on geometric shapes, which they believed promoted the supremacy of pure artistic feeling over the depiction of objects.

In my art, I also draw inspiration from artists from around the world, my peers, and art genres. Among male artists, I appreciate the technicality and creativity of William Kentridge’s work. I have seen many of his animations and exhibitions in London and San Francisco and his recent Opera, which was wonderfully performed and staged. His work is very inspiring to me!

When it comes to female artists, I am usually inspired by their biographical narratives such as their struggles, achievements, and creative paths. My list is quite diverse and here are a few from various cultures and times:

Artemisia Gentileschi (her female perspective was highlighted in all of her paintings)
Louise Bourgeois (her thought process and artistry)
Louise Nevelson (her use of materials and composition)
Barbara Kruger (use of bold images and texts as well as the message of her works)
Sally Mann (for her work, creative process in general)
Marlene Dumas (she draws inspiration for her works’ imagery and content from published media: newspapers and magazines. Her female figurative paintings have elevated the subject from its roots in vanity, using it to depict personal, psychological, social, and political concerns. Her works are emotional and make me think).
Es Devlin (for her most amazing, creative theater and stage-sculptures. For her confident thought process and outcome)
Marina Abramović (for her persistence, the power of performance and feminist art)
Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian (Iran.) (beautiful use of her Iranian heritage techniques and materials: mirror-mosaics. Her work is a perfect marriage between Iranian and the Western culture while keeping her Iranian identity dominant)