Interview
Frida Narin
Frida began writing at a very young age. Her first poetry collection, Le Silence Gris, was published in 2004 in Iran, in Persian. In 2015, she published But I! Neither a product of love nor pleasure, a bilingual (Persian/English) collection in Germany, where she explored themes of love, freedom, identity, and women’s pain. In 2024, Frida self-published two books in French: Les douleurs des maux: a poetic collection accompanied by illustrations, stories, and fragments of introspection and Les éclats de liberté, portrait d’une existante: a poetic autobiography retracing her fight as a Kurdish woman and her quest for dignity. This book is both an intimate testimony and an open letter to all those who resist in silence. Frida’s approach to art is deeply rooted in the idea of therapy and transmission. Her work as an art therapist reminds her every day that art can heal, reveal, and liberate. Through her visual and literary works, Frida weaves a link between her origins, her wounds, and her commitments. She paints and writes to stand tall, to speak of what is often left unsaid. Frida’s art is an invitation: to listen to what silence whispers, to feel the fragile beauty and inner strength that run through us all. Her deepest desire is that in each painting or each verse, someone may recognize themselves, find freedom—or simply feel a little less alone.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I discovered visual arts in high school. At that time, students considered ‘weak’ or ‘incapable’ were pushed into art. Since I was judged as such, I was placed in this path. Yet, this is where I earned my diploma in Fine Arts and later continued at university. For me, however, school was a place of humiliation and constraint—a system designed to stifle creativity and shape docile individuals unable to rebel. Out of sixteen students in my class, I was the only one who refused submission and chose a different path for my life. At the time, I was deeply interested in computer science, but neither my family nor my school took this desire seriously. They considered me ‘incapable,’ and I was forced into visual arts. It was not out of respect for art, but out of disdain—an easy way to get rid of students seen as misfits. A diploma was only seen as necessary to gain respect in society and to secure a ‘good’ husband. I felt misunderstood and humiliated. So, I decided to prove that the problem was not me, but the educational system itself: a patriarchal and authoritarian system built on erasing my identity as a woman and as a Kurd. This is how art became my weapon—a means of resistance against injustice. Since childhood, I have fought this battle, and art has given me the strength to continue.”
What inspires you?
“My inspiration around injustice, violence, war, childhood, stolen freedom, solitude, pain, and the journey of reconnecting with oneself. I also express my most intimate emotions: every dream and every nightmare I go through finds its place in my paintings.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My art is closely tied to my quest for freedom and the reclamation of my femininity, which was stolen from me. Through my work, I try to rediscover this freedom, to celebrate it, and to give new life to the woman that others tried to erase.”
How would you describe your work?
“My style lies at the crossroads of symbolism and surrealism. It was not a deliberate choice—these modes of expression simply imposed themselves on me, as an inner necessity. They allow me to express my experience more deeply. I do not paint to create something ‘beautiful’ or to please. My works are born from my history, my dreams, my pains, and my nightmares. For me, art is above all a therapy, a space of survival, a way to breathe and to live more freely.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I am deeply inspired by Salvador Dalí, Frida Kahlo, Van Gogh, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as by many other contemporary and classical artists I have encountered. Each of them, in their own way, has touched and influenced me. Those who tell a story and manage to touch something deep within me. The artists who shake my whole being and my thoughts when I encounter their work.”
“My most recent exhibition was held in July at the Maison des Arts in Jaunay-Marigny. I was deeply moved to see some visitors cry while looking at my paintings. Many told me that they had strongly felt my message about freedom. For me, those moments of connection were the greatest reward.”
What is your creative process like?
“I began writing my poems and thoughts in secret when I was 15. Two years after completing my university studies, I had to leave Iran. I was seen as a rebellious and dangerous young woman; my life was at risk, and in 2007, I fled to save my freedom. Since then, I have lived in exile. My creative process is shaped by this struggle: freedom, identity, and exile are at the heart of my work.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Art is a powerful weapon—sometimes stronger than an army. It allows us to say the unspeakable, to denounce without violence, to awaken consciences without giving orders, without hurting, without destroying. The freedom that art gives us cannot be given by anything else. A song, a painting, a poem, a novel, or a film can transform a person’s life. I myself have been profoundly moved and changed by works of art I encountered along the way.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“My most recent exhibition was held from July 5 to July 19 at the Maison des Arts in Jaunay-Marigny. I was deeply moved to see some visitors cry while looking at my paintings. Many told me that they had strongly felt my message about freedom. For me, those moments of connection were the greatest reward.”
