Life & Work with Sahar Habashi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sahar Habashi.

Hi Sahar, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey as an artist-turned-designer began when I applied to the digital media program at Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. At that time, I merely had an interest in photography and did not expect my high school experience to actually lead to a future in the arts. My parents, who emigrated from Iran, came to the United States to create better lives for themselves and to have a bright future available for me. Their hard work and success shaped my entire life as I pushed myself to do well in school and in my creative endeavors. I explored different areas of visual art such as photography, cinematography, graphic design, animation, textiles, and printmaking, but felt most passionate towards photography and graphic design which I continued to pursue in undergrad. I attended a university near home for the first couple of years to help tend to my dad, who was in remission from brain cancer. When I knew my dad would be okay and was being taken care of, I decided to take a risk and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and completed my BA in Studio Art at Georgia State University.

While in school, I had the opportunity to intern at Art Papers, a local, non-profit contemporary art magazine. During my internship, I realized my dream was to design art publications and explore graphic design through a contemporary lens. I chose to attend ArtCenter to further my education by pursuing an MFA in Graphic Design. While at ArtCenter, my passion for editorial and book design continued to grow, but I learned I was also interested in the incorporation of new technologies, web, and coding within design and art. This led to my graduate thesis “Post-Material: Expanding Book Design Within Physical And Digital Spaces.” Post-Material is the outcome of my explorations; to take advantage of the ever-evolving digital space by pushing the boundaries of what makes a book, and I accomplished that by translating my research and my thesis book into an interactive and immersive web experience. As a recent graduate from ArtCenter, I plan to continue to pursue my interests in print and generative design, as well as push myself to experiment and explore new forms of making and communicating through the visual language that is graphic design.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, definitely not. At 13, my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer which completely turned our lives upside down. The first couple of years were extremely difficult for me because my dad is my favorite person and seeing him suffer caused a lot of heartache. While my dad fortunately entered remission, the aftermath of treatments had taken a toll on his memory and his body, so I had to step up at a young age and help my mom take care of him and our household. This led to me dealing with extreme amounts of stress, and I was then diagnosed with depression and panic disorder. My declining mental health caused a lot of issues for me in high school and even in undergrad, and I had a hard time accepting help. Eventually, when I moved to Atlanta, I decided to go on medication and continue therapy regularly, and it was one of the best things I had ever done for myself. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t gone through these struggles, and while I still have my bad days, I’ve accomplished so much and never thought I would be where I am now.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an artist — more specifically, a graphic designer and photographer. I specialize in print and generative design, and I like to mix digital and analog methods in my work. My projects are heavily influenced by my interests in art, music, culture, psychology, technology, and nature. I would say I’m known mostly for my photography though, as it’s been my passion and pursuit since I was 14. My work was a bit “controversial” when I was younger and it garnered a lot of attention, so there are people who still follow my work even ten years later, which is so wild to me. Currently, I’m working on a couple of series that I haven’t put out yet, along with a book I’m designing with one of my friends and collaborators that we plan to self-publish.

My background in photography sets me apart from others because my form of storytelling has informed my image-making capabilities, my composition skills, and my understanding of color.

I would say the project I’m most proud of is “Intimate Exposures.” Intimate Exposures is a curated exhibition and book that features ten photographers, including myself, whose work focuses on the theme of memory through the concept of the photo diary. This project was the embodiment of myself as an artist; connecting my influences in the photo world to my personal work and compiling it all in a beautifully designed book.

I am also incredibly proud of the work I did as a co-editor of Source Material, the student-led publication at ArtCenter. During my time on the team, we put out the first summer series (From—Memory), along with issues 3 (Safe Spaces) and 4 (Faces). It felt so rewarding to see the team’s creativity and hard work come to fruition at the release parties, and my time with SM was one of the best experiences I had at ArtCenter.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m honestly an open book, so it’s hard to think of something that people who know me wouldn’t know about me. But for new people I meet, they’re always surprised to learn that I’m trilingual. I grew up speaking English and Farsi, but a few years back, I taught myself how to read and write Korean. I know some Japanese and Spanish as well, and I’m trying to teach myself Mandarin now. My dream is to one day be a polyglot and speak comfortably in many languages.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://saharhabashi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahar___habashi/

Image Credits
Sahar Habashi, Charlie Sin, Evelyn Luu