On the occasion of the release of Rêves Entrelacés, the catalog of the eponymous exhibition held during the La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival, we are publishing an excerpt from an interview with Amir Zand, an Iranian artist specializing in visual arts, concept design, and illustration.
Melania Gazzotti, Charlotte Serrand – 17 October 2024
Amir Zand is an artist and illustrator known for his fantasy and science fiction works. His style is characterized by surreal atmospheres, futuristic worlds, and vast landscapes, often inhabited by solitary or mysterious figures.
The technique he uses combines elements of traditional painting with digital graphics, creating dreamlike vistas and atmospheres that evoke a sense of suspension and anticipation.
His works are especially popular in the world of concept art, often used for the creation of video games, as well as movie, book, and album covers. His career is already marked by prestigious projects, having collaborated with iconic sagas such as Star Wars, Warhammer 40k, DUNE, Halo, and Mortal Engines.
In addition to continuing his work as an illustrator, Amir Zand regularly shares his thoughts on digital art through platforms like his website, Instagram and ArtStation, where he has gained a large following.
To delve deeper into his creative process, we present a short excerpt from an interview with Amir Zand, conducted by Melania Gazzotti and Charlotte Serrand, as part of the Rêves Entrelacés exhibition and the accompanying catalog we have published.
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How would you describe your creative process?
To keep my creativity flowing, I often engage in activities other than painting. Since I was young, photography has been a significant part of my creative process. This practice is just as important to me as filling sketchbooks.
Conversations with other artists and friends are also vital for keeping my creative energy alive. These exchanges help and inspire me. I used to carry a sketchbook with me wherever I went, especially when visiting friends or meeting them at cafés.
Recently, however, I’ve found myself drawing less and focusing more on photography and editing. This practice gives me a new way to express myself and provides a necessary break from my usual creative routine.
Your work is showcased in various fields: publishing, animation, and video games. In which industry do you feel most comfortable?
That’s a tough question because each field I’ve worked in has its own flavor, challenges, and lessons. Every step feels like a school to me.
I feel lucky to be able to operate in different industries—whether it’s covers, animations, or video games — while still pursuing my personal artistic journey. Each experience has pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow in unexpected ways.
In my work, I tend to focus more on expression rather than technique, so moving between two worlds — personal expression and commissioned work — keeps me balanced. I love this contrast. My art is deeply expressive, while commissioned work often challenges me to explore new techniques and approaches.
I appreciate all these fields for their unique contributions, and I enjoy each of them in their own way. I also hope to try new things in the future.
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In recent years, you’ve focused on Anomaly, a personal project of yours. Can you tell us what it’s about and how it’s developing?
I started working on Anomaly in 2015, beginning with a series of paintings featuring monolithic shapes. Initially, these were conceived as abstract forms, which I gradually simplified until they became the monolith.
Over the years, I collaborated with my friend Nathan M. Hurst, who wrote three short sci-fi stories set in the same universe. These stories can be found on www.nathanmhurst.com. At that time, I was focused on creating a new sci-fi concept with an industrial imagery approach.
As time passed, Anomaly evolved into a project with deep personal resonance. It became a vessel for exploring uncharted territories within myself. What began as a sci-fi concept has gradually transformed into something more intimate, spiritual, and deeply personal. I’ve aimed to make it timeless and boundless, a vehicle that allows me to explore different themes and genres.
For your first solo exhibition at the Festival International du Film de La Roche-sur-Yon, you chose a very poetic title: Rêves Entrelacés. What is its significance, and how does it relate to your work?
As I mentioned before, my personal artistic creation serves as a portal to the deepest corners of my emotions and dreams, a way to connect with parts of myself that I can’t express through words. This practice has a therapeutic quality, allowing me to access my feelings through color and form, and to give expression to my dreams.
Art is also a universal language, a medium of communication that resonates deeply with every soul. Each piece in the exhibition carries its own meaning, emotions, and secrets, like pages from a larger story.
The title Rêves Entrelacés — French for ‘interwoven dreams’ — reflects how these artworks, although created in different times and layers, are interconnected by an underlying thread of emotions drawn from personal experiences I am sharing.
Amir Zand is an Iranian digital artist and illustrator who, over the past ten years, has gained international recognition, particularly in the fields of science fiction and fantasy. Here is his bio.
Melania Gazzotti is a freelance curator and art historian specializing in the relationship between image, word, and book. From 2004 to 2010, she worked at the Mart museum in Trento and Rovereto. In 2013, she won the Hilla Rebay International Fellowship, which allowed her to work for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. In 2015, she was called to work for the Center for Italian Modern Art (CIMA) in New York.
Charlotte Serrand holds a master’s degree in cinema from Université Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle, under the supervision of Nicole Brenez. She wrote her thesis on director Albert Serra, with whom she collaborates regularly. In 2020, she was appointed artistic director of the La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival. Between 2018 and 2021, she worked as a programming consultant for the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. Since 2018, she has also collaborated with the Visions du Réel festival (Nyon).