Art Under Empire: Saiyare Refaei
The Art Under Empire series explores the importance of staying engaged with our artistic/creative endeavors in these precarious times, and why art matters now more than ever! Each featured radical creative answers the same ten questions about the intersection of art, politics and the personal, sharing insights on how and why they stick with it...and why you should, too.
1. Name, pronouns, location, creative medium
My name is Saiyare Refaei (they/them/she/her) and I am a Chinese Iranian artist residing on the occupied lands of the Puyallup people (Tacoma, Washington). I have been making public art since 2013. These creative mediums include community murals, printmaking, digital drawings and poetry. I am a member of Justseeds Artists' Cooperative and strive to utilize art as a bridge for community building, education and healing.
2. Why is art important during times of political upheaval/community in crisis?
On a personal level, creating art during times of political upheaval and when the community is in crisis is an outlet for me to channel a lot of feelings of grief, rage and sadness instead of falling into despair. In those moments, when times feel impossible or hopeless, creating something is a way of remembering what transformation is still tangibly possible. When I see others creating works for the times we are in it’s a reminder that I’m not alone in my feelings either. And I hope that some works will also inspire others to take action to support communities in crisis too.
3. What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on a mural at an elementary school, designing a poster for a union, illustrating a children’s book, designing art for one of my former farm student’s hot sauce boxes and planning a solo show.
On November 21, 2026 at Toolbox Laboratories (309 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma) there will be a “My Name Means Free: A Little conversation & crafting event” for an upcoming children’s book that I am illustrating and written by Tala Khanmalek. This will be a free event to the community to get a sneak peak at the book before it’s released next year. We are being published through Blue Cactus Press and preorders are now available through their website and this free community event will be made possible from the the City of Tacoma and Tacoma Art Commission’s TAIP Grant.
4. What do you want to see more of from the art/creative world?
I want to see more authenticity in art and the creative world that is functional and purposeful. Particularly, with the infiltration of AI art, people are opting into processes of making for the sake of making without learning the foundation steps or “the why” of how to make something from seemingly nothing. I personally feel as though we should be learning every time we make and cutting corners is only hindering our growth, understanding, and fundamental creativity.
5. How has your work been impacted or influenced by this particular time we’re living in?
On one hand, this is my second year of attempting to be a full time artist. So I am still trying to find a balance of how many projects I can manage at once in order to feel secure in my finances. On the other, the escalation of violence by our government around the world continues to feel exponentially horrific. There are points that it feels debilitating to manage the feelings of rage, frustration and sadness that our own government would continue to wage more genocide and war on multiple fronts when their own citizens can’t afford groceries, healthcare and suffer surmountable debts devised to debilitate the masses from revolting. When Tehran was being bombed and Iran was experiencing a national blackout, I had a hard time focusing on anything for a couple of months until I heard back from relatives that managed to get a signal to communicate that they were alive. But still I had to create during that time. I can’t send them anything with all of the sanctions. My tools at my disposal are the pen and the brush, tools that can educate people on what’s happening or let others in the diaspora know they are not alone in their feelings. Supporting existing groups who have been supporting people detained or sending mutual aid to Cuba, who have been facing harsher sanctions under the current U.S. administration has also made me feel hopeful that we can change some things amidst all the loss.
6. Re: the intersection of art and activism: can good art be nonpolitical?
I believe art is always political. If one chooses to not make art political then that is actually a political stance. If we know injustices are happening and we choose to not speak on them with the means that we have available to us then that is a choice. There are many moments where I choose that path for any number of excuses and others where I choose to act. We need as many of us with all our tools to transform the current oppressive systems who have us in a choke hold. Collectively we have far more power and humanity than all the rich guys in suits combined. Some of us have been doing this kind of work a lot longer than others and we can always benefit from fresh perspectives and voices in the fold.
