Josiane Cohanim was born in Iran, raised in Switzerland and educated on the east and west coasts of the United States.  Having been shaped by the colors, scents and textures of many lands, she feels compelled to explore elements of various cultures in her art, from the ruins of an ancient civilization to the trees and mountains of her childhood, from the skyscrapers of her youth to the might waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Josiane’s foundation was laid at the Slanted Floor Studio in Santa Monica under the guidance of artist Elizabeth Tracy. She later joined Fusionart movement and began to journey beyond the rational mind, applying paint to canvas with absolute freedom and little care for the end result. That freedom led her to discover the world of collage art and sculpture.  Whether she works in oil, in acrylic or in clay, her focus is less on reproducing the observed than on exploring the mysteries of life and of nature.

Josiane’s other interests include French and Spanish literature, and more recently, ancient Persian poetry and mythology. She is currently studying Ferdowsi’s epic poetry of Shahnameh, and translating it into contemporary English verses so that it is more accessible to the modern reader.