June 2017


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Dwell at Harbourfront Centre – Group Show

Hello dear friends,

I have been M.I.A but for really good reasons. Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is just around the corner and we are very busy with final details and working very hard towards the big day(s). I will tell you more about it shortly. That being said, I am participating in a great group show at Harbourfront Centre with a number of phenomenal artists this summer. Dwell, curated by Melanie Egan and Robyn Wilcox invites us to examine dwelling as both a physical and psychological concept and how that effects our relation to objects, space and the body.

My response: Since I started the #collagediet at the end of 2015, I have been dwelling on subtleties, small gestures, vignettes of thought and floating fragments. I have put myself on a rigorous research into minimizing, simplifying and stripping down to essentials in different aspects of my life, mainly in my art. It has not been easy. But I think I have managed to crack the code with these collage works. The attention here is on these very small fragments that are simple, minimal yet still possessing rich characters.

You will have a chance to see a selection of my collages along with the works of Diyan Achjadi, Helen Liene Dreifelds, Stephanie Flowers, Michelle Forsyth, Amanda McCavour, Suzanne Nacha, and Jocelyn Reid.

joins us for the opening night on Friday, June 23, 6–10pm. This is a free public opening party for Harbourfront’s Summer exhibitions with a cash bar and snacks 😉

Exhibitions run from June 24 – September 17, 2017.

Hope to see you there!

8-dec15collagediet-anahitaazrahimi

subtle fragments

subtle fragments

I will be showcasing a few of my collages on paper in a two-artist exhibition, subtle fragments, with Helen Liene Dreifelds, a fascinating textile artist, at Propeller Gallery (30 Abell Street – Queen & Galdstone area) from September 19th to 25th. The reception is on Saturday, September 24th from 2-5 pm.

A while back, Frances Patella, co-Chair of Propeller Gallery invited us to showcase our work together as she had spotted a dialogue between our creations.

I had came across Helen’s work last year at the Artist Project and it was love at first sight. I haven’t stopped admiring her intricate and contemporary textile creations since. Her pieces and installations are extremely thoughtful and meticulous yet they seem effortless, airy and very dreamy!

The idea of a joint show was definitely a surprise for me. My work is essentially about the characteristics of textile in an abstract form and quite out of context. I had never thought about the juxtaposition with actual textile work. So obviously I am very excited to see how this juxtaposition unfolds.

This exhibition is about our shared interest in referencing textiles with our individual techniques and practices and our joint fascination with folds, creases and draping. There are shared moments of unravelling and unfinishedness.

It is a new experience for me to look at my pieces in relation to another artist’s work. It is a different lense and a learning process. I have picked a few of the collages that are truly subtle – very simple fragments.

Thank you Frances for your insight and for creating this opportunity for us! I am very much looking forward to see how this connection between our works translates into the physical space.

Please come to the show. I really want you to witness this dialogue. It is also my first showing since 2013 so a get-together is long overdue!

Thank you!

subtle fragments

helen liene dreifelds & anahita azrahimi

September 19 – 25, 2016 – Propeller Gallery

Opening reception

Saturday, September 24th 2-5 pm

Textiles are coded material, a living language and archive. subtle fragments brings together the work of two emerging artists working with and referencing textiles. A mutual preoccupation with draping and folds is explored through a range of processes: assembling, collage, layering, weaving and drawing. The result is a series of meticulous records that appear to be in various states of beginning, unravelling.