Shiva Ahmadi - The Courage of Eve
Women with hair flowing carefree in the wind appear to dance in the air amongst flowers and birds. It all seems a bit idyllic except limbs are missing, those “flowers” definitely aren’t dandelions, and there is blood, so much blood, splattered everywhere. And that’s just the surface of these works by Shiva Ahmadi (@shivaahmadi_studio) which are heavily influenced by both current and historical violence and abuse in Iran.
Born in Tehran in 1975, Ahmadi and her family lived through the Iranian Cultural Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s. Given the nature of her work and the atrocities against women that continue to perpetuate in Iran, it’s probably best that she now resides in the US, where she moved to at the turn of the millennium.
Despite being an immigrant for over two decades, Ahmadi’s current work is saturated with Persian influence. Except here rich colours and intricate patterns appear heavily weighted down by the traumas of Iran’s cultural issues. The most overtly political work is a golden oil barrel, covered with decorative motifs and Swarovski crystals that shimmer in the gallery lights, but still can’t distract you from their bleeding puncture wounds. Large watercolours take a much more subtle approach, which makes them all the more harrowing once you’ve studied them close.
It’s not entirely clear if the floating female figures have had their limbs severed or amputated, and its a bit unnerving to dwell on. A closer look at the flowery motifs reveals bullet holes or the impact of shrapnel. And there is so much red blood splashed across these works that it’ll remind you of a gruesome medical scene in the aftermath of an explosion. Which, by the way, you will see in a variety of black & white news imagery that has been screen printed onto the base layer of the work. It’s heartwarming to see children smiling and playing in the streets, but a careful look reveals war torn wreckage. Maybe they aren’t playing in the streets, but attempting to run towards safety?
Viewing these works is not an easy experience. Not because of the atrocities hiding in plain sight, but because the works are beautiful in spite of them. These pretty pictures that lure you in only to bite back once you get too close might be viewed as stealth politics. Except for the fact that the most prominent features are the women, with confident stances and heads full of never-ending hair. It hasn’t been cut in defiance, protest or mourning, and it hasn’t been hidden under a hijab. In spite of the horrors around them, the women in these works stand proud, and that fills me with hope.
Also included in this show are two animated short films that are made from hundreds and hundreds of individual paintings. They are simply beautiful, and worth watching every second they’re on screen.
Plan your visit
‘The Courage of Eve’ runs until 01 April.
Visit galleryrosenfeld.com and follow @galleryrosenfeld on Instagram for more info about the venue.
Visit shivaahmadistudio.com and the Shiva Ahmadi Wikipedia page and follow @shivaahmadi_studio on Instagram for more info about the artist.
🖼️ Want more art? Visit the What’s On page to see a list of recommended shows, sorted by closing date. Don’t miss ‘em!