Opening on 7th January 2022
On view until 28th January 2022

Living in a mega city like Tehran by itself is an impossible act, a city that swallows soil, water, nature, and identities. Thus leaving the citizens confounded and under constant pressure. There are moments when there are no answers to be found, no solutions to the problems, and no possible future. It is no longer a place to live in; it is more a crossroad, where survival is often the only task. Sinkholes physically threaten the city, and more and more of its citizens are sinking below the poverty lines.
Breaking away from tradition, Fatemeh Bahman Siyahmard continues on the path of turning the two-dimensional into three. The curves in these new works are part of the concept of the series: to live on the edges is a difficult task, if not impossible. Creating convex and concave canvases is an attempt to collect and reflect data, much like mirrors of the same shapes used to reflect light outward or inward, thus recreating virtual images that are a variation of reality. In the smaller works that are convex-shaped, she sheds light on details of larger works. Her engagement with science is particularly influenced by outer space and is evident in the works.
Artist is showing her fears and the sense of imbalance and confusion that is part of everyday life here; the impossible situation. She speaks of never being free to contemplate what is important; there is never the peace of mind to deliberate on anything of meaning as one is always mindful of falling on either side of the edges.
These self-possessed paintings are the artist’s attempt to leave her own comfort zone to move towards the edge of what is possible. It is about taking risks and deriving pleasure from reaching one’s limitations. And It is about non-conformity and facing challenges and overcoming them.
By living on the edge, the artist stays clear of mediocrity, there is not much in the Middle, and she certainly does not belong to the Middle. Using her considerable skills as a painter, she offers her own answer to fear, ignorance, apathy, and complacency.
Nazila Noebashari