Profiles of Phenomenal People: Candice Dehnavi

Published by Josh Banks,

Hi!

So, I started this blog to talk about important and interesting things going on in the world. I wanted to go against the media, which primarily focuses on well-know celebrities or politicians and sob stories, that can be damaging to all of us. Especially emotionally as we set unrealistic expectations of beauty and every day living.

This is why I have decided that I am going to do Profiles of Phenomenal People and the amazing things they do to ensure that they get the credit they deserve for all the hard work they do. This week I'm starting it all off with Candice Dehnavi.

Candice is completing a fine art degree at Manchester School of Art (and is graduating in a month which she referred to as "scary but exciting") however fine art is not the only type of artwork that she does.



Originally she is from Devon, although she is from a mixed-race background, with her Dad being from Aran whilst her Mum is from Somerset (but has a Russian origin). She grew up in a hotel which she referred to as "Shinning style". She elaborated by saying "It's weird because it was this really British place, but with these random intersects of Persian culture." She went onto describe her Mum as "being this really tall woman who wore suits and heels and had power". Of course, she looked to her Mum both metaphorically and physically as being "really inspirational". Dehnavi still adores her Mum but she joked "my Mum is smaller than me now".

Dehnavi gave me some insight into her childhood years and time at school telling me that "I was deaf when I was younger and got really badly bullied". She then went on to say " I went to a private school - I was really lucky for that - I made loads of good friends but when it came to the end of school I got bullied again because I was the weird art kid.", which exposes her as a human just like everyone else, although she has put that all behind her and is no longer fazed by bullies in the past or present. She reinforced this idea with "I love dropping what is the ideas of being what is recognised as this cool thing and being what I want. I like weird things, I like art and it’s just being able to speak in this visual language is important to me because half my family can't speak English and so art is that intersect between all cultures.". So, in a way, Dehnavi uses art to break down language and cultural borders to convey her messages to numerous people from all different backgrounds. She then continued: "This exhibition here (which was set in a youth club in the Wirral) got kids that would probably laugh at art students and then they're interested in getting involved", which shows that art is a universal language that everyone can identify with.

I later inquired whether she had always liked art or if it was something she'd recently became interested in, to which she responded: "When I was little I remember that I've absolutely always loved it and I have always been drawn to it. It's something that just comes so easy to me as I am dyslexic and dyspraxic so it's something that I have been able to create." Not only does she do stereotypical drawing artwork, but she added that she does art with wires, codes, silicon and much more. When I asked her about the main theme in her work she said "A lot of it is about identity politics", which is the tendency for people of a particular race, religion, gender or ethnicity to organise politically around that specific interest for the sole purpose of advancing that interest regardless of other groups. Dehnavi added: "I love looking at the surrealist ideas of the conscious, intersecting my memories and building worlds." showing why she loves the power and creativity the game Minecraft gave he as a child and still to this day in her adult years.

Recently, she has been making silicon noses which she is now adding fans and computer programming too, enabling the noses to breathe.


If giant walls of silicon noses aren't your thing, don't worry Candice has got you! She loves drawing and even makes books containing only pictures and no words. She has also learnt how to bind books and highly recommends it. She said, "It's calming and if you ever feel shit just make a book".

We moved on to mental health with Denhavi mentioning "That it's a big part of every person who is creative. I got diagnosed with health anxiety. Basically, I think that a lot of people aren't taught that mental health is curable, and there are parts in my life where I have been suicidal,". The fact that she was able to be so open shows how mental health isn't a taboo subject in today’s society and we have to stop presenting it in that way. She then told me that "talking to people has helped her a lot and now she is happier and does whatever she wants."

If you are intrigued by Candice's weird but wonderful mind and her amazing artwork she has a website: https://www.candicedehnavi.co.uk/

Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned as I actually have a few posts planned. So to sum remember to appreciate everyone who plays a role in your life. And if you know someone amazing who deserves some credit please let me know, as I would love to share their story.

Will post soon - Josh :)