Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anahita (Ani) Bradberry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Anahita (Ani), appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I find that the most memorable projects are ones that are defined by relationships with others—collaborative pieces, opportunities to show art within personal or unconventional exhibition spaces, and works that were formed by critical feedback from peers. These contexts shape the work just as much as the individual artist-author. The abundance of intimate show venues and homegrown exhibition spaces in Austin grant such a wonderful opportunity for authentic connections and friendships, so I’m grateful to be here. Just this past weekend, I had an exhibition opening at Co-Lab Projects (https://www.co-labprojects.org/) and once again I was reminded how open-hearted this community is.
In NYC, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to create two permanent installations: one for a lovely residential lobby in LES, and the other project was to create a space-defining work of art for a subterranean secret subway station bar called Nothing Really Matters. I am always humbled when architects and designers trust me to enhance their site, especially when the scale can be as large as 16′. For both of these projects, we worked together to create iconic forms for memorable experiences of their spaces.
Anahita (Ani), before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a plasma light artist: a neon bender. Neon lights are created by shaping glass tubes over fire, filling them with noble gasses, and electrifying them to create illuminated works. Neon is a difficult community to break into, but I was lucky enough to work for a professional neon bender in 2015 and learned the skills first-hand. It is generally known for commercial sign-making, but I find the material to be fascinating as a stand-alone medium and I enjoy focusing on its inherent chemical beauty. Because of this, my practice often focuses on simple and minimal experiences. I create sculptures and immersive light and color installations in a range of scales and have exhibited internationally.
As an Iranian-American artist, there is often pressure to represent myself or my identity within my work, but I choose minimalism and abstract forms to allow space for randomness, flexible interpretation, and maybe a bit of poetic mystery. It’s a gift to be illegible, sometimes, and I find much more meaning and heartfelt interpretation from my audience than I have ever been able to find when attempting self-representation. Process-wise, I also often allow unpredictability and instinct to drive the forms I create in the fire—improvisation and “letting gravity do the work” has shaped many of my pieces.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Whenever I feel stuck, reading interviews on https://thecreativeindependent.com/ always knocks the cobwebs free. This is an incredibly rich resource for finding inspiration, confidence, and assurance that you are not alone in your struggles as an artist.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I think having fun is an often-forgotten value of art-making. It’s important to revel in the work and enjoy with your peers!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anibradberry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ani.data
Image Credits
Headshot: Rosie Clements