For Amir Rajaei and Samira Danesh, art has always been more than a career. It is something that has shaped their relationship, their family and, now, their life in Canada.
The Iranian-born couple are both artists and designers with their own creative practices and businesses. Yet, their work often intersects, with each challenging, supporting and collaborating with the other.
The couple’s story is part of a broader picture of immigration and the arts in Canada.
Federal data based on the 2021 Census shows that nearly 100,000 immigrants work in professional and technical occupations in arts and culture across Canada. Immigrants make up 21 per cent of independent artists, writers and performers, while more than 2,000 arts and culture businesses with paid employees are owned by immigrants.
The numbers underscore that immigrants are not simply participating in Canada’s creative industries; they are also building businesses and creating opportunities within them.
For artists such as Rajaei and Danesh, that contribution happens through the work they create, the businesses they establish and the communities they join.
Rajaei says becoming part of Halifax’s artistic community has been particularly meaningful.
“I’m really happy that we joined this community and these nice people, who constantly support us”, he says.
Danesh and Amir met in Iran and have been growing their careers side by side. Danesh talked about how she met her husband.
“He was the curator,” she says. “He held more than urated more than 40 national and international exhibitions and events”,
Rajaei invited her to one of his exhibitions.
“And I said, oh, such a handsome guy… for sure. I accept it.”
The couple began dating, and their first exhibition together was hosted on their first anniversary as a couple.
Their relationship has since evolved into a creative partnership, one where the boundaries between work and home can sometimes blur.
“You know, I think it’s a big challenge when the couple works and lives together”, Rajaei says.
“You talk about your work, and you have to switch to your life again.”
For the couple, that means conversations about art can happen alongside the everyday realities of family life.
Danesh says the pair have different personalities and creative directions, but that difference can be productive.
Their home has also become their studio, making their creative work inseparable from their daily lives.
“So our work is completely involved in our daily life,” Danesh says.
Both artists carry their Iranian backgrounds into their work, even as they build new creative identities in Canada.
Danesh studied sculpture and painting before studying fashion in Paris. She also taught fashion design at universities in Iran.
Her background in sculpture continues to influence how she approaches clothing.
“I use lots of my techniques and skills in sculpting in my fashion design,” she says. “And always it’s a kind of combination for me between these two majors to use different techniques and materials in my fashion designs.”
Moving away from Iran has also made her more conscious of the importance of carrying her culture into her work.
“And now when I’m here out of my country, I feel this is a kind of necessity to use all of those elements, all of those items of my culture in my art,” Danesh says.
For Rajaei, art provides a way of connecting cultures rather than keeping them separate.
“You know, for me, art is, I think art is a universal language,” he says. “It is a language that people around the world can understand, but it has different flavor, color, expression and taste in every civilization and culture.”
“I believe the beauty of art comes from the connection between these different flavors.”
That idea has become increasingly important since arriving in Canada.
“I want to respect my roots and cultural heritage while also learning from and connecting with other cultures,” Rajaei says.
In Halifax, he began exploring the city’s landscapes, architecture and visual identity through photography and sketching. He studied the history of Nova Scotia and incorporated those observations into his artwork.
When he arrived in Canada, Rajaei says he found an audience that appreciated art and design. He eventually launched East West , a multi-brand creative venture incorporating artwork, fashion and graphic design.
The work has become a way for Rajaei to explore his new surroundings while maintaining a connection to where he came from.
At Halifax Fashion Week, Rajaei will present work through East West Design, while Danesh will showcase two collections.
Rajaei’s collection grew out of his exploration of Nova Scotia after arriving in Canada. He began photographing and sketching Halifax and the province, eventually turning those images into artwork and designs.
His collection brings those visual explorations onto clothing.
“I created my first T shirt collection inspired by Nova Scotia,” Rajaei says. “I printed my painting and designs on T shirt and created a casual collection with the idea that fashion should be for everyone.”
The collection is intended to be accessible and inclusive, reflecting Rajaei’s belief that fashion should not be limited by people’s abilities or backgrounds.
“Everyone can use and be part of the session,” he says. “This is the message of my collection.”
Danesh will bring two distinct collections to the fashion week.
Her couture collection is inspired by her experience of arriving in Nova Scotia and encountering the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.
“It’s very personal because it’s inspired by my experience of moving to Nova Scotia and discovering the Atlantic Ocean for the first time,” she says.
“I’ve never lived beside the ocean before, so everything fascinated me like waves, tide, and everything like nature.”
The collection translates that experience into sculptural fashion, drawing on Danesh’s background in sculpture as well as her fashion training.
She plans to present about nine looks, each exploring different elements of the natural environment and her experience of living beside the Atlantic.
Her second collection moves toward sustainability and ready-to-wear fashion.
“My other collection is, like, sustainable,” she says. “And that’s so important for me to get inspired by nature, to get inspired by sustainable material.”
The fall-winter collection will use neutral and warm neutral colours and sustainable materials, while retaining elements of couture.
“They are like fall winter collection, ready to wear,” Danesh says. “But still, you’re gonna see sense of couture in them.”
For the couple, Halifax Fashion Week represents more than a chance to show their designs. It is another step in establishing themselves within a creative community that is now becoming home.
