Samin is an Iranian Experimental Animation student based in Toronto, currently studying at OCAD University. Her artistic practice centers on themes of emotion, identity, memory, and transformation, often expressed through metaphorical and poetic visual storytelling. She combines digital media with hand-drawn and mixed techniques to reflect her personal experiences and inner worlds as an international student navigating life between languages, geographies, and cultures. Through her work, Samin seeks to connect with others who inhabit similar in-between spaces, creating a shared language of empathy, resilience, and belonging across borders.
Pieces of Me
Digital painting, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 11" x 17", 2025
“Pieces of Me” explores the fragmented experience of identity as an international student. The silhouette of a human figure is composed entirely of colorful puzzle pieces, some of which are missing or floating in the background. This visual metaphor represents the way I navigate life between two places: the home I left behind and the one I’m still learning to call home. As someone living in cultural transition, I often feel like parts of me are scattered, some belonging to memories, others adapting to a new reality. My sense of self is constantly shifting, being constructed and deconstructed as I try to connect different languages, values, and emotional landscapes. The floating puzzle pieces symbolize the moments of disconnection and uncertainty, while the vibrant inner pattern speaks to growth, resilience, and the beauty of complexity. This piece doesn’t provide clear answers, it reflects the quiet in-between, the identity that is neither here nor there but always becoming. By embracing this fluidity, I aim to express that not having all the pieces in place doesn’t mean being incomplete. It simply means I am still building myself, one piece at a time.
