Seclusion: Solo Exhibition by Mahdieh Vali-Zadeh

You are invited:

“Seclusion”

Solo Abstract Calligraphy/Painting Exhibition by Mahdieh Vali-Zadeh

November 7th to Nov 12th, 2017

Opening Reception: Tuesday, November 7th from 6 pm to 9 pm

Daily Hours: everyday 10 am to 6 pm

Wednesday November 8th and Friday November 10th: 10 am to 9 pm

Art Square Gallery – Lower Level

334 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 1G5

Come and see the artist’s new series, “Seclusion”, as well as a selection of her previous series, “Whirling: The Golden Series”

“خلوت”

نمایشگاه انفرادی نقاشیخط های انتزاعی

مهدیه ولی زاده

۷ تا ۱۲ نوامبر

Bio:

Mahdieh Vali-Zadeh was born in Tehran/Iran and raised in Amol. Having grown up both next to the sea and in close proximity to a very sublime mountain range, her love of nature meditation grew tremendously. As another major influence, Persian mystic poetry captivated her since childhood when she started practicing calligraphy at the age of 10 intertwined with poetry. She also started learning painting at the same time although not as seriously as calligraphy. Having developed a love of poetry, culture, and literature, Mahdieh studied English Literature as her major. She moved to Tehran then for doing an MA, where she was exposed to most modern art works and artists of the country. It was at this time that she started developing a different approach, working on a postmodern style to integrate classical Persian calligraphy with abstract Western art, creating abstract expressionist calligraphic paintings, which she continues till the present day. Mahdieh is, now, pursuing her PhD on the matter of ‘the Sublime’ in Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto and has some art projects in hand. Although as a child, she started with local art instructors, after moving to Canada, she had the privilege of being instructed by some the most acclaimed and widely known contemporary Iranian-Canadian artists.

Artist Statement:

Coming from a culture the legacy of which is the most sublime poetic creations (including Hafiz and Rumi), my first and most significant inspiration comes from poetry that bridges the gap between the real and the ethereal, which feeds very well into my imagination. What I love most is to put the essence of these poems into colors through abstraction and semi-abstraction. While Persian calligraphy used to form a major part of my expressive paintings, after immigration and as a result of living in a multi-cultural city like Toronto as well as studying the philosophy of “The Sublime”, I have been inclined to a minimalist use of calligraphy as some signs and symbols, which can talk to an international audience.

The present series, “Seclusion”, depicts an internal journey of awakening toward peace, serenity, and unity. I created this series within two intense months while I had to go through one of the most difficult periods of my life. “Seclusion” explores the importance of contemplating in solitude to dig into one‟s deepest thoughts and feelings for self-realization, self-development, self-actualization, and self-expression. While every painting exist separately as one state of psychological and spiritual development, the whole series narrates this internal journey through the language of modern art.

Website: www.mahvali.com