by artist Ghazaleh Rastgar
Artist Statement: The Morocco beaver personifies a Moroccan person wearing a traditional Moroccan kaftan in the colours of Moroccan flag. Intricate designs in the front, sides and borders depict typical embroidery that these garments usually have. The ball is painted with a geometric design typical of Moroccan tiles.
Artist Bio: Ghazaleh Rastgar, also known as Ghazaraza, is a multidisciplinary Iranian-Canadian artist based in Toronto. Born in Shiraz, Iran, and educated at OCAD University, she has worked as a full-time artist since 2016. Her practice spans painting, murals, textiles, and digital media.
Ghazaleh’s work draws from Persian visual culture, personal memory, and the lived experience of diaspora. Blending traditional motifs with contemporary techniques, she layers bold colour and expressive figures to explore themes of identity, belonging, and cultural inheritance. Her work is often informed by love, feminism, and spirituality, offering intimate reflections on what it means to live between worlds.
Alongside her studio practice, Ghazaleh has created public murals across Canada and internationally that centre identity, visibility, and storytelling in shared spaces. She has also been involved in curating and coordinating community arts programming, collaborating with organizations such as StreetARToronto and other public art initiatives, with a focus on community engagement, equity, and accessible creative expression.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/start_streetartoronto/
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