Shabnam Afrand

Lives and works in Toronto, ON, Canada

Artist statement

Artist Statment I am a multi-disciplinary artist born and educated in Tehran, Iran. As a member of the Iranian Diaspora, identity and social discourse are important conceptual anchors in my practice. During the past two decades, I have explored themes related to power, the intersection of personal and collective memory, relocation, and fragility through various bodies of work, some of which I would not have been able to realize with the same clarity if I remained in Iran. Both my methods and material choices are project-oriented. I have used painting and drawing as a tool to illustrate my memories; juxtaposed repurposed wood, found objects, and precious metals like bronze in my sculptures to destabilize preconceived material associations; and activated installations with performance in an effort to represent the complexities of human experience. My recent projects have culminated in mixed-media installations that draw heavily from my lived experience as I continue to uncover the entangled concepts of no-place and no-map, both of which I consider to be profound contributors to my own sense of self.

Artwork