Rambod Vala, Art

Name:

Rambod Vala

Title:

Assistant Professor

Department:

Art

Describe your research in about 200 words.

My research sits at the intersection of art and design, grounded in a practice that moves fluidly between typography, spatial storytelling, and collaborative inquiry. I am drawn to narrative structures that weave together realism and fantasy, politics and romance, skepticism and belief. Rather than resolving oppositions between disciplines, I aim to inhabit the space between them: a zone where ambiguity and contradiction are not problems to solve, but conditions to work within. At the core of this approach is Unche Studio, a collaborative platform I co-founded in 2019 that operates across graphic, architectural, and object design through the lens of fine art. Named after the Farsi word “آنچه” (meaning “that which”), Unche embraces uncertainty, the unseen, and the not-yet-defined. Our work often begins with a spatial or linguistic prompt and unfolds into material forms ranging from video and sculptural installations to interactive and static digital environments. I am drawn to layered processes that combine analog and digital tools, archival research, and open-ended collaboration. The resulting pieces are often speculative, but grounded in lived experience and historical context.

What’s the most interesting thing you have learned from a student?

To teach is to encounter and embrace differences: even the simplest assignment, like drawing a circle, may return with a multitude of alternative shapes and meanings.