Artist Biography

Reza Sedghi, born in Tehran, Iran, in 1993, is a professional digital artist and sculptor. He began his career in the animation and 3D printing industry as a digital sculptor and 3D character artist and has since expanded into sculpting. His sculptures are mainly sculpted out of stone, with CNC technology and hand sculpting, and he also experiments on sculpting with natural ingredients such as fungi. His work focuses on themes such as degeneration of human thought, humanity and the pressing social issues of our time. Reza’s work invites us to explore the complexities of the human experience, and to question the world around us.

Artist Statement

In the ancient world, mythology served as a guidepost to humanity, leading us down the path of ethics and morality. These timeless tales shared the wisdom of the ages and revealed the paths of our humanity. Yet, in our modern age, we have abandoned this well-trodden path, forging ahead with relentless determination. But in our insatiable pursuit of progress, we have lost sight of the bigger picture, neglecting the importance of thoughtful consideration. Instead, we have become creatures with magnificent shells but decaying cores, clinging to redefined values that have lost their original meaning. Our relationships have become distorted, and our traditions have been stripped of their true symbolism, suffocating us in their emptiness. As we watch the decline of our dignity and the chaos that surrounds us, darkness creeps in, consuming what little remains of our once-great civilization.

Instagram: @low.rez

What initially compelled you to pursue art?

The urge to create and express my feelings through art goes back to when I was a child. Alongside painting and sculpting with clay, I had a deep connection with computers and CGI. Since my teenage years, I have been digitally creating. In my early 20s, I started working professionally as a 3D character artist for video games and animation. Later on, I shifted my focus mostly towards digital sculpting for the 3D printing industry, mostly for collectibles and toys. The experience of seeing my digital artwork come to the physical world was amazing. However, as the artworks were all done for the industry, I felt something lacking. There was this lack of soul or a message in it.  

Therefore, I used my technical knowledge to produce the things I wanted to share with the world. Technically I sculpt digitally and mill them on stone using CNC techniques, and later on I sculpt the details by hand. For the natural materials, they're mostly experimental; with the help of mycologists, I experiment and create the shapes by growing and drying the fungus over the sculpture. I aimed to create artworks that would express my concerns and spark a conversation with the viewer. Regardless of age, we all have experienced life and have some sort of worldview. Art helps us express the essence of being human in its purest form.

Who or what in your life influences your practice the most?

Visually, I get inspiration from a multitude of artists, as evident in my artworks. I find great inspiration in Classical and Renaissance artworks that aimed to depict the idealistic form of humans. The exploration of myth, stories, philosophy and the struggles of humanity to attain this idealistic form has always fascinated me. Simultaneously, I am inspired by artists such as Francis Bacon, Beksiński, Sagazan and Bahman Mohasses, who skillfully express decay as a profound form of portraying degeneration, dystopia and grief in humanity.

To delve deeper, my ultimate inspiration stems from philosophy and a comprehensive examination of life itself. I seek to understand where we can potentially reach as human and where we currently stand. I am driven to explore what has gone awry. Mythology, philosophy and morality serve as key elements in my work. I strive to establish connections between stories and mythology in a metaphorical sense, as stories often provide us with hints and act as guideposts in our pursuit of an idealistic life that we have perpetually sought.

What do you feel is the key concept that connects your works?

As I already mentioned above, I firmly believe that the profound connection between mythology and the post-modern human condition, intertwined with the exploration of ethics and morality, serves as the central and foundational concept that unites and gives coherence to my body of work.

Tell us about a moment that ultimately made you look at your art and/or practice differently.

There was a particular moment that significantly shifted my perspective on my art and practice. Initially, my focus was on creating sculptures digitally, without necessarily intending to delve deeply into the world of art. However, everything changed when I created a 3D illustration and shared it online. To my surprise, some people began to interpret and feel the emotions I had intended to express. Some even reached out to me, sharing their opinions and emotions evoked by the artwork. It was at that moment that I started to view art differently.

I realized that art has the power to foster interaction, enabling me to communicate and deliver messages to the audience. It dawned on me that I harbored concerns about the current state of humanity, and through my art, I could address and explore those concerns.

Another transformative moment came when I embarked on creating my first stone sculpture with a layer of naturally grown fungus. Since there were no predefined guidelines or established processes for this kind of work, I had to experiment and test various methods to achieve the desired outcome. The unique experience occurred when I witnessed the fungus, a natural material, flourishing on the sculpture. Seeing life grow and sculpting with this organic medium was truly awe-inspiring. It was this extraordinary experience that solidified my determination not to give up on sculpture.

In essence, these moments of audience interaction and the fascinating encounter with the symbiotic relationship between the sculpture and the natural fungus fundamentally changed the way I perceived my art. They ignited a deeper passion within me and reinforced the significance of my artistic journey.

What does your art give you that nothing else can?

For me, art serves as a powerful form of communication and self-exploration that cannot be replicated by anything else. Through my art, I am able to share my unique life experiences, conveying emotions in their purest form. It provides me with a dialect, a means to express my opinions and concerns, to create a conversation, and also receiving insights and perspectives from others through their own artistic expressions.

In self-exploration, art allows me to delve deep into my subconscious, gaining a deeper understanding of myself. It becomes a vehicle for introspection, where I can empty myself or create something to gain insights about who I am. At times, art acts as a healer, providing solace and a release for emotions that may be difficult to express in other ways.

In essence, what my art offers me, which cannot be obtained elsewhere, is the ability to translate my experience, perspective and concerns into a visual form. It allows me to communicate and engage with others on a profound level, sharing my thoughts and emotions through the medium of art.