This series starts with a brief memory: on a Chaharshanbe Suri* evening, sometime during the 2000s, in a sudden and somehow comical event, in a moment shorter than a blink of the eye, in which I sensed the explosion of gunpowder over my face. Reviewing this memory through the years, inevitably exaggerated on how precise I remembered the event. At first, I could only see a blinding light and then steaks of black would quickly grow over it. This memory established a network of links amongst all of my first-hand experiences and recorded images of fireworks and explosions; from private parties to national anniversaries, protests, celebrations and the likes. Browsing through amateur footage and photographs of fireworks, I became increasingly fascinated by how closely fireworks and explosions were related and how blurry the line distinguishing the two was drawn. Reviewing such notions, one questions how material and action are redefined based on context, time and occasion, denoting different concepts such as danger, nationalism, celebration, tradition, religion or war.
This series has been heavily informed and inspired by such imagery, as well as memories related to fire, burns and light; their impressions making up the core themes of the current works.
Initially, the paintings depicted frozen, tangled and intertwined lights and the focus remained on color and form. Gradually and increasingly, darkness crept into the image literature and assumed a more prominent role. Meanwhile, trees, landscapes, fog, smoke and other visual elements were defined by the lighting of the portrayed moment. The collection on display includes dry soft pastel drawings, oil paintings, and an artist book, all created during the past two years. Each component of this series serves as an autonomous effort towards creating light and touching on its absence in images and memory. Light blooms, defining for a moment whatever comes visible.

Shahrzad Jahan