January 2020

Dear Friends,

It is my great pleasure to invite you to the opening reception of my show, quiet vignettes, as part of DesignTO Festival on Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 7 – 9 pm at Black Cat Artscape on 2186 Dundas Street West.

The works that I have created for this show are subtle collages of folds and creases that evoke a quiet movement and energy.

There is a simplicity and understated quality in these works that I find deeply gratifying and calming. Fine hand-sewn stitches have replaced my previous drawings. I feel like I am trying to gently nudge these fragments to come together – a reflection of my inner world at the moment.

I have invited Lauren Wilson of Timberlost Designs to mirror the works with evocative and poetic foliage vignettes. Lauren’s creations are soulful and deep. We will create a subtle — almost evanescent — experience of a balanced and poised marriage of our practices.

With this intimate spatial installation, the vision is to create a moment that nudges you to slow down and pay attention — and to reflect the unassuming authority of a unique and unexpected bond.

It is my first show in a very long time and quite a special one so it will be just wonderful to share this experience with you. If you can’t make it to the opening, you can still catch the show until January 26th any day (except January 20th & 21st ) from 1 – 5 pm.

Don’t hesitate to contact me for a private viewing.

With quiet love,

anahita

Below are the images of the rest of one-piece wonders (working title). I am working on a few more of these and I am gradually expanding them and playing around to see what come out of them. One thing for sure is that I am really into metallics and sequin now.

For now take a look at these. They are also listed on my store.  More to follow in the coming weeks.

opw iv – oil & collage on wood panel (working title) – 2014

opw v – oil & collage on wood panel (working title) – 2014

opw i – oil & collage on wood panel (working title) – 2014

Here are the first pieces of the new series I  have been working on.

They are very different from what I have been doing in many aspects. In most of my previous works, I have used a lot of color and I have been drawn to meticulous and elaborate collage work where at times I have used hundreds of cut-outs in one piece.

For these works I am using only one colour, heavy layers of black paint, and one focal cut-out. I highlight a carefully-chosen college pieces that has intricate and high definition texture to create a visual illusion of detailed hand-painted element. The medium is oil on wood panel. The cut-outs are still from fashion editorials. They are also studies for larger scale works. I am contemplating to blow up the scale and see what happens.

For now I am call them ‘one-piece wonders‘.

opw vi – oil & collage on wood panel (working title) – 2014

opw iii – oil & collage on wood panel (working title) – 2014

opw ii – oil & collage on wood panel (working title) – 2014

It is definitely not summer anymore. no kidding! But I haven’t posted anything about the works I finished back then.

Here they are the sibling, “gentle” works I was working on a while back.  Their summery,  bright and fresh colour pallet makes them almost out of place for this dreary, grey November day or on the contrary, their soft glow-in-the-dark look is the most needed visual break . I think more of the latter, not that these paintings are seasonal!

Here is pleasantly idle ! For this, I left a lot of silent, quiet space on the top with very subtle variations of paint where I enjoy relaxing my eyes on and focusing on the soft layers and silky textures. The collage work somehow reminds me dangling thoughts, unfinished ideas, graceful limbs dancing gently in the air. There is a sense of confident disconnect and idleness in this state of suspense. 

Remember this work that I had doubts about its “finished” state. well,  I went back and tweaked it with some minor paint application and few more collage pieces. I don’t know whether it was for better or worse. You be the the judge. It does look more finished to me. And if I still have doubts, I can’t go back to it anymore or I will wreck the whole thing.

The piece is titled the world is your oyster. It is believed in feng shui, turquoise, the stone, is used to attract money and wealth!  I didn’t know this fact when I was combining pearls, jewels and lush shiny cut-puts with turquoise and aqua tones. I believe my spirit was dwelling on the sea bed, searching for pearls of wisdom and inspiration all in one big giant oyster. So it turns out this work ,hung in the right place, is destined to bring you wealth and fortune, without breaking the bank ;-).