Born and raised in an artistic family, Atessa’s journey came to life in Tehran, Iran in 1969 upon her birth to a loving, highly educated couple Mali Pamenari and Zardosht Hooshvar. With Zardosht being a university professor, writer, and historian and Mali working at the university of Tehran and a background in singing, Atessa’s life has always been intertwined with Literature, History, Music, Art, and culture. At the age of 19, despite her love for Art, Music, and Architecture, and due to social pressures of her time Atessa decided to study Mathematics at the University of Tehran. And although this decision shifted her path away from her true passion for sometime, her relationship with Art remained unchanged and this bond left a mark in every stage of her life with her Graduating thesis topic being “The Role of Mathematics in Music”, playing several instruments and singing, teaching art and music to children, and pursuing painting as a hobby.

After marrying Touraj Torabi, Atessa and her husband moved to Canada in … in hopes for a brighter future where only a few years later they had their first and only child Taraneh. Being raised in a large and very tight family made immigration a tough transition for Atessa and her family especially when it came to transferring her cultural experiences down to her daughter. Thus, storytelling and the role of art and literature became significant in her life once again only this time it became even bolder as Atessa was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and forced to leave her day job.

During the process of her treatments and healing painting, singing, and storytelling became a medium for her true feelings, thoughts, worries, hopes and dreams. To this day Atessa has had to fight Cancer three times and has come to deeply believe in the pivotal role Art, Music, Culture, literature, and Community play in her healing and mental well-being. While fighting this vicious enemy several times Atessa’s struggles lead her to realize the true meaning of hope, strength, kindness, sacrifice, freedom, serenity, generosity, motherhood, family, friendship, and love which are narratives of her Artwork. These are also the reason why she has chosen to dedicate her life to Art.

“In a world of technology and notifications, its nice to just stop for a second and realize… realize the moment we’re in, realize our being, realize our thoughts, realize our feelings, Realize that we live! And Art does that for us, it makes us STOP!”