Hadieh Shafie, “Passion”

Date: marzo 15, 2019Author: ilmestieredileggereblog 19 Commenti

Un paio di giorni fa, ho iniziato a leggere il romanzo “Io non sono un albero” di Maryam Madjidi, scrittrice nata in Iran ma vissuta fin da bambina in Francia (la mia recensione). Come spesso mi accade, sono rimasta colpita dall’immagine in copertina e sono quindi andata a cercare informazioni in merito all’opera riprodotta e all’artista che l’ha realizzata.

Hadieh Shafie Saayeha10-SideDetail — dettaglio

Si tratta di Hadieh Shafie, artista nata a Teheran, Iran, nel 1969 ed emigrata all’età di tredici anni negli Stati Uniti, dove ha compiuto i suoi studi artistici.

Shafie usa accuratamente la carta tinta a mano e arrotolata per formare superfici dense. In alcune opere, ogni gruppo di cerchi concentrici ha una profondità uguale, creando piccoli piani nella topografia del pezzo finito. La sua serie “Spike” presenta coni a spirale affilati che sporgono verso lo spettatore. Oltre al bordo colorato, la calligrafia è incorporata anche sui rotoli di carta. Più recentemente, Shafie ha creato una dimensione aggiuntiva immergendo le pergamene finite in inchiostro per creare l’aspetto delle ombre.

Link al sito ufficiale:

Artist Statement:

A constant element of my work is the significance of repetition, process and time. In works comprised of paper scrolls, individual strips of paper have been marked with the word “eshghe,” both hand-written and printed in Farsi. While the most direct translation of “eshghe” to English is “love” its expressive power is “passion.” I chose this word because it encompasses my longing and search for acceptance and understanding. The repetition of text, in particular the word “eshghe,” is a recurring element in much of my work of the last decade. Using concentric forms of text and material I seek to magnify its meaning.

Writing by hand on strips of paper, I repeat what is printed, filling in gaps to emphasize a particular, existing form. For each work I decide on a limited color palette. As I roll the paper the colors on the edges of the strips align, creating bands of alternating hue that stand along side one another, while at once, seeming to merge into new color formations which are often delightful surprises. I may decide to repeat the color sequence but I try to encourage myself to let go so new combinations may arise. Placing each scroll side by side, I make decisions about color and composition at every step of the work and so the process of making progresses much like a painting or drawing. What interests me is the tension between control and spontaneity that emerges at every step. During the repetitive process of adding paper strips to create individual scrolls, text and symbols are hidden within these concentric rings of material as the scroll grows outward. There are compositions of printed and handwritten text sealed in the work that sometimes I wish I could see again, that are now relinquished to the eternal turning within the work.

Concentric forms of text and material also take inspiration from the Sama dance of the whirling dervishes with the resulting work as the physical expression of my awe.