Whispering Whimsies comes from a deep-seated belief that playing is a form of living and resistance. Growing up in a war zone and under an oppressive regime in Iran, I found that the most radical thing was to hold onto my sense of wonder. Instead of letting the weight of that history take over, I’ve chosen to create a world that is light, whimsical, and intentionally playful. My practice is rooted in clowning¹, not just as a performance, but as a way to be fully present and open to the world of possibilities and encounters. Through stop-motion animation, I take simple watercolor paper cutouts and give them a life of their own. A tiny tilt of a head or a small shift in a paper shape becomes a conversation. Like a clown on an empty stage, these little characters use the simplest gestures to tell stories about how we relate to one another, inviting everyone to step into a space that reminds them of their own stories and the experiences we all recognize.