Farahnaz Tafreshi

PhD Candidate in Visual Arts: Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory

Talent

Irvine, CAMember since August 20, 2026

Stone lithographyTusche drawingIntaglioPlate preparationMulti-layer color registrationClay modelingHand-buildingWheel-throwingFigure drawingArtistic anatomyPaintingContemporary painting mediaPaint handlingHistoric color formulationMaterial applicationFresco techniquesPanel paintingIconographic interpretationFormal visual analysisLearning outcomes assessmentAssessment rubricsProgress tracking systems

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Stone lithographyTusche drawingIntaglioPlate preparationMulti-layer color registration

Experience

PhD Candidate in Visual Arts: Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory - Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA) - Portland, ME

(2025-09)

Art Studio Faculty & Residency Program Coordinator - OCAD University, Florence Off-Campus Studies Program - Florence, Italy

(2012-09 - 2025-12)

Conducted upper-level studio courses and post-degree certificate seminars focused on independent artistic practice within a European cultural context.
Delivered lecture series tracing Italian art history from the medieval period through Mannerism, focusing on fresco techniques, panel painting, sculpture, and architectural context.
Led scholarly, site-directed field study visits across major historical locations throughout Italy to ground formal visual analysis and iconographic interpretation in physical artifacts.
Evaluated studio work by connecting historical principles to contemporary execution, requiring students to integrate traditional methods of anatomical study, compositional structure, and pictorial space into individual practice.
Mentored advanced undergraduates through independent studio proposals, thesis execution, and the professional realization of graduation-level bodies of work.
Directed formal individual and group critiques across all program levels, emphasizing critical vocabulary and iconographic reading.
Managed operational logistics for the international residency program across academic terms, overseeing studio scheduling, visiting artist itineraries, site-specific projects, and public exhibition programming.

Fine Arts Instructor & Studio Coordinator - Creative Image World - Toronto, Canada

(2013-09 - 2025-12)

Taught figure drawing and artistic anatomy from direct observation of the live model, addressing gesture, proportion, skeletal structure, and muscular form.
Instructed students in traditional and contemporary painting media, covering paint handling, historic color formulation, and material application.
Delivered technical training in planographic and stencil printmaking, including stone lithography, tusche drawing, photo-emulsion exposure, and multi-layer color registration.
Conducted studio coursework in intaglio, relief, and dimensional methods, covering press operation, plate preparation, armature construction, and clay modeling.
Structured introductory ceramic labs covering hand-building, wheel-throwing, and kiln firing.
Designed syllabi, learning outcomes, assessment rubrics, and progress tracking systems aligned with academic studio standards.
Managed facility operations, hazardous materials safety protocols, inventory control, press maintenance, and scheduling.
Supervised junior instructors on syllabus structure and critique standards while guiding graduating students through portfolio preparation and higher education admissions.

Design and Illustration Specialist - Ministry of Education, ON, Canada - Ontario, Canada

(2019-03 - 2020-12)