Hadieh Afshani

Lives and works in Jersey City, NJ

Artist statement

My practice explores how we create meaning, connection, and a sense of stability within an uncertain world. I work primarily through painting and mixed media, building images through layers of transparent ink, watercolor, acrylic, gloss mediums, oil glazes, and resin. Rather than covering what comes before, these materials allow earlier layers to remain visible, creating a sense of time, memory, and accumulation. Dots appear throughout the work, often gathering around forms and shapes. They reflect our tendency to recognize patterns, connect fragments, and create meaning from things that may not inherently have meaning. This desire to make the world understandable and livable is central to my process. Architecture is another recurring element. As one of humanity’s most meaningful constructions, architecture embodies our needs for safety, measurement, belonging, culture, and hope. I use architectural spaces to explore both collective and personal structures, particularly my experience of migration and trying to make a new place feel like home. Light entering through windows and doorways becomes a recurring image of possibility and hope. My work also explores womanhood, particularly the contradictions of being a woman from the Middle East, where profound histories of art and beauty coexist with the silencing of women’s voices, bodies, and sexuality. Trees and sacred natural forms recur as symbols of endurance and renewal. Their long lives remind me to continue, reconnect,...

Artwork