Anna Radjou
Building 5, 510B
https://www.annaradjou.com | art@radjou.com
Medium: Painting, Mix Media, Fiber
Sway
Isolera
Zerepoosh (Armor)
Syniy (Blue)
Kaktus
Ambi
Watchful
Arlington
Inspirada
Matryoshka
Background
Anna Nazaretz Radjou is an award-winning designer, illustrator, and mixed media artist from Arlington, VA. Anna is gallery director of Gallery Underground, in Crystal City. She is also represented by Gallery Underground, is a member of the Arlington Artists Alliance, is Artist Pro Tem at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a member of the Torpedo Factory Artists Association, and is now a studio artist at Workhouse Arts Center.
Anna was raised in Northern Virginia and lived abroad. Throughout her childhood, she was introduced to many different cultures through travel, folk festivals, and museums. With these experiences, Anna developed a fondness for observing others, often paying close attention to how people reacted to everyday moments.
While attending Maryland Institute College of Art, Anna took a wide array of specialty courses such as fiber art, sculpture, or printmaking and quickly discovered that she enjoyed combining several mediums into individual artworks. After graduating, Anna threw herself into creating art for art shows, commissions, and her own personal enjoyment. During this time, she co-founded an award-winning marketing marketing and design agency, j.a. creative. This led her to consult for the Arlington Artists Alliance, among other local and national nonprofits and organizations.
Artistic Philosophy
My mixed media artworks are whimsical and unique, featuring stylized characters in contemplative scenes. They range from friendly to moody, bright to ominous, and introspective to quirky. By combining embroidery with painting and/or block printing on fabric, I work to create fine art pieces that have a contemporary eye-catching twist. I also incorporate elements inspired by folk patterns, symbols, and icons, from my mixed cultural background.
The process of creating my artwork is nearly as important as the initial concept or the completed piece. Working in a layered and detailed technique allows me to deeply explore and reflect on the concepts within my piece. I depict both introspective and outwardly-observational scenes that cover concepts of mental health, identity, emotions, or social mores. By striving to create bright, approachable art, I hope to also invite viewers to move in closer to my pieces, to reflect on the subject matter or to make a connection with their inner-self, as well as, to find a moment of peace while observing the details of the artwork.