Maryam Tavakoli | Like a Circle in A Spiral

×

Expand

Maryam Tavakoli

Courtesy of the Gallery.

Opens Friday November 4th, 7 - 9pm

Like a Circle in A Spiral is an attempt to re-interpret the identity-memory relationship. As in, the identity that cannot be reachable without being lost in memories, and the memories that cannot be remembered, or even stored without reflecting on the identity of the person carrying them.

The experience of “Like a Circle in A Spiral” starts with visual engagement within the twists and turns of charcoal marks left on blank white pieces of paper. Tavakoli uses collage as a starting point for creating detailed and impactful charcoal drawings that incorporate family photographs, found images of war and conflict, and moments of human connection and remembrance. The artist intends to leave the audience lost into the masterful touch of the artist in this condensed collection of moments that resembles fragments of identity. The curious audience is now beckoned on to an immersive viewing experience that sets them up to a provocation of personal emotions/memories in a dynamic place. Here, Tavakoli experiments with multiplying and layering sheer fabric drapes within the exhibition space so that the subtle movement, transparency, and interaction of images offers new narrative possibilities.

Tavakoli cuts and mends images from her own memory, embracing the distortion that memory takes in its relationship to remembered. Given the complex overlapping nature of the two concepts, “Like a Circle in A Spiral” reflects upon the fact that memory and identity cannot be defined separately, and highlights the fluidity and dynamism of memory.

Maryam Tavakoli is a multidisciplinary artist based in Victoria, BC. Her practice questions the relationship between identity, memory and time. In her current works, she makes use of a variety of materials that can embody the vague, distorted reflections of memory on identity through a combination of practices involving drawing and installation. She seeks to explore the concept of identity through memories of lived life experiences, personal traumas, and the social/cultural structure of her home country.