Soraya Sarah Nazarian is an Iranian-born, Los Angeles-based artist who, in her 25-year career, has become a master in the medium of direct carving in stone. Her work carries themes of motherhood, family, spirituality and the Iranian culture. Ms. Nazarian immigrated to the United States in 1979 with her husband Younes and her four children. While raising her family was a primary commitment, at age 42, she began sculpting in the studios of the American Jewish University, formerly University of Judaism, and established her own studio soon after. Her work is distinguished by two major periods: a time of discovery and experimentation in the 1980s and 1990s, and a period of artistic self-confidence marked by the creation of large-scale works beginning in 2000. Earlier in her career, she revealed parallel interests: first in mastering the female form, second in experimenting with abstraction, and third in exploring themes that spoke to her life experience. Most of her work is based on strong familial connections and a commitment to humanistic values. In 2000, she traveled to an artist’s workshop in Pietrasanta, Italy, a city made famous for its marble quarries by Renaissance Sculptor Michelangelo. The experience profoundly shaped her life, focused her technique, and enhanced her relationship with stone. Since her initial arrival, Ms. Nazarian has been one of the few women who have personally selected stone from Pietrasanta quarries. Ms. Nazarian’s work is held in numerous private collections, and large-scale sculptures have been commissioned by cultural institutions in Israel and the US. Recent commissions include Sound (2002) at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, Reflections (2007) at Sapir College, near Sderot, Israel, Legacy (2009) at the University of Haifa, Israel, Identity (2010) at Saperstein Middle School in Los Angeles, and Wings (2014) at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. She lives and maintains a studio in Los Angeles, California.