My artwork centers on the theme of Moments, reflecting the complexities of human emotions and experiences. Based on this theme, I showcased my perspective on women’s fleeting yet precious private experiences in my last exhibition in Iran. The positive feedback from the exhibition further motivated me to continue exploring this theme.
Mindfully embracing and processing our private moments is often overlooked in our daily hassles. As a woman deeply interested in understanding and interpreting human emotions, I have realized how a fleeting moment in our lives could have the most profound impact on us. Most of us experience these moments, maybe when something is troubling our mind or, perhaps, in moments of pure ecstasy. Yet we often try to deal with these moments in private, and soon they will be forgotten. These moments may be ephemeral, but they subconsciously affect our personality, shaping our memories and perception of life over time.
I am deeply intrigued by how different women feel, think, and approach life. The intricacies of womanhood and what makes the character of a woman has captivated me. Thus, it excites me to look at other artists’ paintings of women. For instance, Edgar Degas’s paintings were a source of inspiration to me. He painted women in everyday life poses and settings, making his paintings feel natural and unpretentious. Throughout the course of history, painters have painted women’s everyday life to be their voice and raise awareness in societies. Building on the legacy of earlier artists, contemporary art continues to represent women and tries to push boundaries in new and exciting ways.
My theme, i.e., Moments, is particularly focused on women because, in my country, women’s precious thoughts and feelings are often neglected and deserve more attention. I deliberated on what it means to be a woman and the complexion of womanhood and reflected my thoughts in my project “Hidden Shadow.” I created this project on canvas, using oil paint as my medium to help me convey these ideas and emotions, as the tactile and malleable nature of the medium allowed me to create depth and richness in the colors, textures, and forms. I preferred to use soft contrast color forms sensitively with light brush strokes. Different shades of warm and cold color tones enabled me to bring my feelings to life. These feelings reflected my experiences and my turbulent emotional journey since moving to the US in August 2022. The shifts between color choices, evident in my art, reveal my emotional ups and downs during this time.
Through my art, I hope to encourage others to take a moment to slow down, pay attention to the present, and gain a deeper understanding of the often-overlooked aspects of the world of a woman and her emotions. In conclusion, I aspire to challenge the current representation of women in art and expand the boundaries of what’s possible in exposing rich experiences and perceptions of a woman through contemporary art.
Oil painting on canvas