Born in 1980, artist Torabi believes he was born an artist. As a child, viewing a beautiful painting sent his heart racing; he never had a doubt that this was his destined path. A young Torabi found charcoal and chalk around the house and began drawing on any and every surface, much to his mother’s chagrin. Luckily, his parents encouraged him to hone his craft. His father, whose heavy brow and deep-set features were ideal for charcoal representations, would sit for endless portraits as Torabi perfected his technique. Soon, teenage Torabi received commissions for portraits of religious icons and began supporting himself with his art.