Ghazaal Nasiri

Ghazaal Nasiri (b. 1999, Shiraz, Iran) is a visual artist living and working in Oslo, Norway. She earned her BA in Painting from the Shiraz University of Arts, Iran, and her MFA from the National Academy of Arts in Oslo.

Ghazaal’s practice is rooted in drawing, embroidery, and traditional craftsmanship, often merging mythical storytelling with personal history. Through her work, she explores cultural memory, psychological trauma, and the lingering effects of suppressed emotion. These themes surface instinctively, shaped by the materials she chooses and the slow, repetitive gestures of making. As an Iranian immigrant, myth is not only a reference from her upbringing but also a framework for navigating and expressing the complexities of identity, silence, and loss in the present.

“Avaz e Parandegan”
Inspired by the 12th-century Sufi poem منطق الطیر (The Conference of the Birds) by Attar of Nishapur, this work follows the mythical journey of the birds in search of the Simorgh (سیمرغ), the majestic and elusive phoenix (ققنوس). Guided by the hoopoe (هد هد), the birds cross seven valleys of longing, fear, love, and annihilation. In the end, only a few remain—only to discover that the Simorgh they sought was nothing other than themselves, a reflection of their collective being.

Drawing from this allegory, my work intertwines mythical storytelling with personal and collective histories.

Connection to Groruddalen

My connection to Groruddalen began three years ago when I first moved to Norway to pursue my master’s degree. I stayed with a friend in the area while searching for a collective to live in, and those first days marked the beginning of my journey in a new country. This August, I will return to Groruddalen to begin working in my new studio at Romsås Centre. After graduating and completing a residency at Kunstnernes Hus, this studio marks an important new chapter—my first as a self-employed artist. For me, Groruddalen represents new beginnings, and I am eager to contribute to the cultural life of this vibrant and diverse neighborhood.

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