Born in 1981 in Tehran, Iran, Majedian lives and works in Vancouver, Canada.
Majedian’s artistic practice delves into the intricate consequences of theocracy, contemplating the emancipation and constraints of the figure within space. Informed by her embodied experiences, a comparative language emerges in her paintings, intertwining movement, chaos, and contrasting visual elements. The inspiration for her painting content arises from the relationship between ordinary moments and socio-political imprints.
By drawing upon personal memories and gradually distancing herself from visual references, she weaves a narrative with a fluid medium, capturing diverse perspectives. The challenge of translating the final composition onto large-scale canvases allows her to experiment with the medium, constructing a perpetual instant directly.
While illustrating figures interacting with their surroundings, she explores methods of figure disruption, contemplating haptic visuality since senses allow events to be grasped. Testing diverse mark-making tools and ground preparations, Majedian examines how the image’s subject can evoke senses beyond the tactile.
Each of Majedian’s paintings represents a new exploration, demanding fresh mark-making and formal decisions. Whether driven by theme or the challenge of depiction, she aims to imbue each work with a distinct expression and mood. Entitled “Bloody Lipsticks,” part of this body of paintings portrays the convergence of female figures with a camel, illustrating a transformative morphing of these entities. The camel (surviving in the desert without drinking water for a long time) symbolizes endurance in the face of adversity. The visual interplay between the bullet and lipstick patterns accentuates the contrast between elements of femininity vs. violence.
These sociopolitical narratives strive to represent contemporary Middle Eastern challenges through a familiar Western visual language, offering a more nuanced perspective than what social media and news outlets convey to both Western and non-Western audiences.
Willow Art Space 