Artist Statement
Among all pottery techniques, none can illustrate the emergence of light, luster and colour from darkness quite like raku firing. During this process, smoke penetrates the raw clay body, submerging it in darkness. Where glaze has been applied to the form, luster and colour emerge, reminiscent of rays of light piercing through the dark or hope arising from despair. This contrast makes raku firing a unique finish for ceramic surfaces. “Hope Arising from Despair” is a collection of small ceramic pots designed to depict the juxtaposition of dark and light through raku firing.
Biography
Azadeh Mehryar is an Iranian born and raised interdisciplinary artist with a key focus on ceramics. Currently based in Vancouver, Azadeh is inspired by historical artifacts and through juxtaposition of contemporary culture and Persian art, she creates work that explores cultural hybridity. With regard to the geometry that is present in Persian art and her personal experience of living in diaspora, her work seeks to navigate a realm in which two cultures cross paths; the realm that informs her cultural identity and provides a sense of continuity through her past and present in response to her diasporic experience.
Azadeh’s initial undergraduate studies are in computer sciences; however, the passion to create tactile art directed her to the art world. In 2018, she registered for an art program at Langara College followed by a transfer to Emily Carr University in 2020 to fulfill her long-time dream of art making. Azadeh graduated with a BFA in May 2023 and won the 2023 honourable mention of the Landon Mackenzie Graduation Award for Visual Arts. Azadeh is also a proud recipient of the Governor General’s Silver Medal for the highest academic achievement in bachelor’s degree program as well as the Northwest Ceramics Foundation and Brissenden scholarships. Azadeh has attended the Deer Lake artist residency at the Shadbolt Center in Burnaby as well as the Medalta Artist Residency in Medicine Hat and exhibited her work at Place des Arts in Coquitlam and the Shadbolt Center for the Arts in Burnaby.
Instagram: @azadeh.mehryar
Artwork Sales
Artwork cannot be reserved; sales are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sales are open in-person and by phone during operating hours. Sales end at 9:00pm on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
How to Purchase by Phone
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- Make note of the artist name, artwork number, title and sale price.
- Call our Registration Desk at 604-664-1636 ext. 0 to complete your purchase. Please have your credit card ready.
- A copy of your receipt will be emailed to you. Please bring it with you to pick up your artwork. Sold artwork can be picked up during operating hours until 9:00pm on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
