Artist Statement

All universal events may occur together, despite logic of creation, that is time and place, whether in painting or ghazal (a traditional form of Persian poetry). These get dissolved to find their way into an ideal universe, superior to the materialistic one. The inspiration, it seems, is so strong, that it compels a poet or philosopher to toe the same line - an artist being no exception. Considered as the bedrock of Persian thought the overwhelming influence of these two worlds - the materialistic and the spiritual - could well be felt in almost every realm of its structure.

In Persian thought, daily life is not disregarded. In fact, it finds presence in creative work without tending to abstraction. For me, there is a supra material meaning to the mundane in material life achieved by situating it in symbolic space.

I regard my paintings as having been inspired by an authentic multi-space thought and culture of a Persian past. Such spaces are juxtaposed without any cause and effect relationship. In such a perspective it is possible to easily move from one space to another in order to reach a transcendent whole. Moreover, regardless of its appearance, it has a higher meaning.

My work therefore depicts the everyday experiences of my life and environment. I collect recurring motifs from my surroundings, while maintaining a freedom to accept spontaneous inspiration as it arises. My images emerge from the internalisation of a closely observed environment, collated in a composition of multi-spaces and co-existing narratives. Colours are drawn from the landscape. Themes of the human experience - freedom, peace, and harmony - emerge intuitively.

For me the traditional Persian philosophy of multi-spaces provides an exciting bridge to move from the cultural past to the contemporary personal experience.

Currently my Art Education PHD research on ‘The Pedagogy of Unpredictable’ has influenced my practical artistic research. In these new works – blank canvases, I fully concentrate on the resource – the blank canvas as what itself can offer rather me filling the whole surface. The wooden frame behind the canvas appears to the front and expresses the hidden stories – possibilities of its own. This new approach was inspired by my theory in art education that ‘the blank canvas is not blank,’ stating that students are ‘not blank’ and in fact are the main and primary resource that influence the whole process of teaching/learning and art making.
The blank canvas, in its position or situation, already looks something and this something also seems complete in itself. It already has something to offer and this is
simply its existence. If something exists it requires consideration. This consideration, in educational language, is perhaps building knowledge on the knowledge that already
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exists. When I look at this blank canvas, the question, “Am I going to make something of it and make something beautiful on it?” is not the first thing that I am thinking about. Instead, I am thinking about what this existent element, the blank canvas, is going to do to me? What journey is it going to take me on?

Australian trees and their forms strongly appear into my work these days. I am mad about them. They seemed to reflect the old and hidden stories in this land and I can hear them perfectly and relate to them. They are living in my art as human being and sometime carrying my birds in their tummies. My own hair nest is perhaps a personal and emotional donation to those creatures who dislocation and displacement took them to the joy of unpredicted stages of growth and life. I am inspired by chaos and unpredictability, when life is balanced art may die.

Fatemeh Vafaeinejad 2007