Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayrin Gharibpour.
Hi Ayrin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. I was raised in a creative family. My father is a theater director and several of my uncles are graphic designers and illustrators. My journey as an artist began when I was a child attending my father’s rehearsals in different theater salons. I remember bringing my colored pencils and notepad to all kinds of events and created artworks whenever I had the chance. The life I experienced as a child was filled with art. When I turned 18, I decided to study graphic design at the Art University of Tehran. During my studies, I was interested in illustration, especially illustrations for children. I loved developing and designing characters and making short stories. My father’s love for puppets and marionettes opened a new perspective in my artistic career. Many of my illustrations turned into hand and rod puppets for children’s theater performances. It was such a joy giving life to my characters!
I worked as a teaching artist educating young children how to make puppets using recycled found objects and simple materials. When I moved to the United States, I worked at the Bob Baker Marionette theater puppeteering and teaching kids in the Los Angeles community. During the pandemic, due to the temporary closure of the theater, I transitioned to experimenting with animation and stop-motion in my home studio. These experiments turned into complete film projects, including an animated music video collaboration with an international songwriter. Since then, I’ve worked as a sets and props fabricator for several TV and commercial projects. Animation is such a whimsical world and I’m giving all my energy and time to it. Every day is a new day with so many unknowns to learn… and I’m loving it!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road has had many ups and downs! I am always growing, learning and understanding more about myself and my talents. There were certain times I fell down and couldn’t move on, but the love for creating has always kept me going! Before moving to the United States, I lived in Tehran for over 30 years, so it was a huge cultural and environmental shift that I had to get used to, especially in such an unusual time like the pandemic. It has been difficult to find footing and it continues to be a struggle today, but my community is growing and I’m finding more opportunities every day to make the work I want to make.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I’m specialized in illustration, animation and puppeteering. I’m proud of the variety of techniques and artworks I have created in the past 13 years. I’m not naturally a patient person, but I’m proud of my efforts in stop motion to create smooth convincing animations, which takes a lot of time and dedication, so I’m proud of committing to this craft. The thing that sets me apart from others is how I get inspired by my emotions, feelings and life stories to create my fantastical artworks in different mediums.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t give up, lose hope or compare yourself! We all have our own path and pace to grow to become the master of what we love to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ayringharibpour.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayrin.in.wonderland/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayrin-gharibpour/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLwytC8zUYQuzyJSZ7o8o0w
