Raya Bakhtiari (b. 1987, Iran) studied painting academically while also receiving training in sculpture and traditional Iranian mirrorwork. Her explorations have expanded to the field of urban arts as well. In the "Verdigris" series, Bakhtiari uses Iranian traditional mirrorwork to create contemporary art. Mirrorwork has been a key part of the decoration in religious buildings or palaces. Metaphorically, in Iranian literature and mysticism, mirrors and their cleanness or dirtiness are reflections of the human conscience as well as a window to the past for learning. Bakhtiari paints characters and scenes from Iran's contemporary history on rusty mirrors, and what the viewers see as a result is a mix of historical images and a broken reflection of themselves in mirrors. So, which face has gotten rusty and distorted? Ours or that of those historical figures?