July 28 – September 9, 2023
The Art Incubator Gallery
Opening Reception: Friday July 28th, 7 -10 pm
Free admission
What If I Knew? is an exhibition of recent works by Mona Sahi, an Iranian-born and Edmonton-based visual artist. Her body of work provides a visually compelling reference to the dramatic events that have been taking place in Iran since September 2022, and explores the insidious and corruptive nature of power. She employs diverse mediums that engage visitors on multiple sensory modalities to convey this concept that is particularly specific to certain parts of the world, and yet a universal reality for humankind.
Upon entry, the artist invites the visitors to wear a blindfold over one eye, thereby limiting their vision to one eye at a time of viewing the artwork. This embodied gesture stimulates the live experience of hundreds of protestors in Iran, who were shot in the eyes by security forces during the uprising that was ignited in September 2022. Mona’s stunning series of paintings offers a powerful visual representation of the theme while her adjunct installation of ceramic pieces in the shape of spent bullet shell casings on black sand along with a series of drawings on triangular birch panels additionally underscore the fragmented and destructive nature of power.
In her exhibition “Symptom”, which was presented in 2020 at Kalhor Gallery in Rasht, Iran, Mona Sahi reflected on violence against animals, using them as a symbol for all living beings. This concept resurfaced when in September 2022, a young girl Jina Mahsa Amini was murdered by the morality police in Iran for not wearing her hijab properly. This dramatic event sparked series of massive protests, with the people of Iran rising against a corrupt government. The artist’s current body of work is deeply influenced by this continued uprising. It reflects on the powerful emotions and actions of the Iranian people and ponders the larger picture of those nations across the world who have bravely resisted against violence throughout history.
As Mona Sahi says “… I want to raise awareness about social and political issues that impact our world today, and I hope to inspire viewers to engage with these issues in meaningful and transformative ways.”
Artist’s Biography
Mona Sahi grew up in Bandar-e Anzali, a small city in Northern Iran; the artist’s education in art began in high school with a focus on graphic design. She continued her undergraduate studies in design, which she eventually switched to visual arts with a focus on painting. This shift began her artistic journey, driven by her sensitivity to the world around her. While working toward a BFA in Painting at the University of Guilan in Rasht, Iran, Mona participated in several art exhibitions in Rasht, Bandar-e Anzali, Isfahan, and Tehran. While pursuing her artistic journey, she started teaching visual arts to children in Rasht, immediately after her graduation from the University of Guilan. Shortly before immigrating to Canada in 2020, Sahi’s compelling body of work was featured in her solo exhibition “Symptom” at Kalhor Gallery in Rasht. Since her arrival in Edmonton in 2022, Mona has continued her art teaching career and has been responsible for organizing and leading several art workshops at the Paint Spot in Edmonton. Her works have been exhibited in several group exhibitions at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre and Naess Gallery. Mona has been an active member of Edmonton’s visual arts community and currently practices art in her studio at Harcourt House.
Curatorial Note
Mona Sahi expresses human violence in a considerate manner; being mindful of the triggering impact of her art on her audience. In an age of being surrounded by graphic content in the news and social media, she filters out the inevitable ugliness of causing harm, without ignoring the real issues. Touching on difficult subject matters and themes, her art is genuinely brave. There is no distinction in her sensitivity to various forms of life. Mona lets her art reflect a past visit to a slaughterhouse, or a reproduction of remnants of a crackdown on peaceful street protests in her home country Iran. Her work is about controlled, imprisoned, and violated bodies.
Mona Sahi’s stylistic choices in picturing human and animal bodies, and the appearance of the colour red along with carefully desaturated blues and browns remind us of the works by Bahman Mohasses (1931-2010); a highly celebrated Iranian artist whose life and career continues to inspire generations despite years of censorship and physical elimination. Coming from the Gilan Province and both having grown up while breathing in the special air of the Caspian Sea, and later becoming artists in the Iranian diaspora are the shared lived experience between Mohasses and Sahi. However, Mona’s courageous compositions create a unique atmosphere in every piece. In her acrylic paintings, the brushstrokes are free flowing. Her meticulous attention to detail stands out in her scratchboards; and her installation of ceramic spent bullet shells proves her intentionality in choosing the right medium to communicate her message and questions.
The exhibition title “What If I Knew?” refers to a moral dilemma sometimes discussed in popular culture, known as “The ethics of killing the baby Hitler”. As the frustration increases among the Iranians in their struggle for human rights, a question arises in social circles: “Could you kill one infant to save many lives?” Although no single answer is achieved, the discussion emphasizes the importance of reflecting on the dark sides of human actions. Specifically, the brutality of authority figures in Iran especially towards women and marginalized identities cannot be ignored or reduced to the actions of individuals.
In September 2022, Jina Mahsa Amini was murdered in a discriminatory system at the intersection of gender, ethnicity, language, and religion. Her death became a unifying force for various communities, her name traveled around the world and continues to empower people in a search for social justice. Mona Sahi invites the viewer to reconsider our numbness to unbearable suffering around the world. Her art acknowledges that the ideal of ending suffering may not be reachable, and yet we can move towards a better world. Her creations expose darkness, suggest potential for fundamental change, and initiate dialogue across borders.
I would like to express my gratitude to the professional staff and Board of Directors of Harcourt House Artist Run Centre for providing the space and support in such a historical moment when Iranian artists and curators in the diaspora employ their transformative tools for a liberating slogan: Women, Life, Freedom
Asal Andarzipour
Top Image: From the series “Metamorphosis“(detail) 2023, drawing on birch panel.
Photo courtesy of the artist
Presenting Partner:
