Niku Darafshi
“During my time at the Museum, I learned all about the different departments that help make a museum run and dove deep into a research topic that used pieces the Museum had. It was an incredible learning experience and connected me to an amazing place that I may have never interacted with if this program did not exist. I loved the people I worked with and left the program seeing art and the culture that makes up my identity in new ways.”
Museum Exhibitions Visited: Temporary exhibitions Emperors & Jewels, Transforming Traditions: The Arts of 19th Century Iran and Your Way Begins on the Other Side temporary exhibitions, as well as the Museum’s permanent Collection
Focus of Research: Niku’s focus was the literature and displays of Persian paintings, Qajar art and Qajar photography. She started by focusing her research on royal portraits in Persian art and their evolution through time, specifically in the 19th century. With this topic at the forefront, she examined items in the galleries, received multiple tours from curators around this topic, and gained an understanding of how the Museum’s artifact database works. In later weeks, she narrowed her research further by examining the relationship between portraiture and the method and material of execution (e.g. rock carving, book painting, wall painting, etc.). Her research also included how approaches to, and the purpose of, portraiture in Persian art changed over time. Throughout her time at the Museum, Niku met various staff members from the Curatorial, Exhibitions, and other public-programming teams, who helped her advance her research.