SHADI MALEK
Artist's statement
Submited art works:
-"7th day" or "God looking upon us"
This panel is the 7th panel from a series of 7 veils,
Size: 160x100 cm
Based on the story of creation in Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, And Iranian Mysticism.
Thousands of hand placed, needle sized holes on the panels dissolve the materiality of each panel and as a result creation of light becomes materialized. The first 6 panels are white and impossible to photograph, however in their presence one experiences the subtlety of the manifestation of light.
-"Khaneh Bagh= Garden House"
Silk Screen on cotton cushion
Size: 145x30cm
Images of trees, lyrical poetry, Architectural elements of the Garden House
-"Shame to Conceal This Beauty With Dress"
Silk screen on Lace Cardigans
-"Pashe Band=Mosquito Net"
Mosquito Nets were commonly used in the past when in summer people would sleep outside on the roof or in the garden. They are usually made of white scrim fabric.
Size:300x250x250cm
Work in Progress, on the Theme of Garden, Dreaming, Veils, and Love.
I am interested in the beauty and poetry of everyday objects. I use written poetry and pictorial storytelling in my work to infuse these objects with the lyricism that might have been forgotten.
The plays of, veiling and unveiling, appearance and disappearance, concealment and revealing, materiality and dissolving of material, remembering and forgetting, form and use, word and image are present in all my projects. It is important to me that what I make be used as a utilitarian object. In my work sublime ideas appear on most ordinary objects and in that contrast, the ordinary becomes elevated to the level of sublime and in return the rememberance of sublime becomes readily available to the user. Iranian poetry and literature has a stong presence in my work both visually and conceptually. The works presented in this portfolio span from 2006 to the present.
