UNEARTHED:
MITRA MAHMOODI & JAMAL TABASINEJAD
May 18 – July 21, 2024
UNEARTHED: MITRA MAHMOODI & JAMAL TABASINEJAD
Adobe buildings—uncommon in the wet, mild climate of British Columbia—are a fixture of Iranian desert architecture. This sophisticated and ancient architectural style uses sun-dried clay bricks to construct a diverse array of structures, from humble domes to vast citadels and intricate ziggurats.
The magic of adobe construction has captivated the imagination of two Iranian Canadian artists: painter Jamal Tabasinejad and ceramic artist Mitra Mahmoodi. Their joint exhibition delves into the artists’ shared fascination with adobe architecture, with a focus on representation in painting and abstraction in sculpture.
Images: Installation view of unearthed, exhibition at the Gallery at Evergreen Arts, Evergreen Arts, 2023. Photo: Rachel Topham Photography.
About The Artist
Mitra Mahmoodi is a Vancouver-based ceramic artist whose work is informed by an investigation of her Middle Eastern and Islamic heritage and an ongoing engagement with the landscape, architecture, languages and wisdom of that part of the world. Her journey with clay began in her late twenties, but it was only three years ago, following her graduation from Vancouver’s Emily Carr University of Arts + Design in 2021, that she began a full-time artistic practice. During this transformative phase, she refined her style, blending traditional techniques with a contemporary aesthetic.
Mahmoodi received her Diploma in Ceramic Design from the University of Arts London, UK, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver. Her work has been exhibited at Centre A, Vancouver; Richmond Art Gallery; Medalta, the historic clay district in Medicine Hat, Alberta; Pangolin London; Ceramic Art London; Central Saint Martins, London; and Wedgwood Museum, UK.
Jamal Tabasinejad is a Vancouver-based visual artist from Tabas, Iran. He works with a wide range of materials to create his painting and mixed-media artworks. With an artistic career spanning more than four decades, Tabasinejad explores adobe constructions, traditional Persian motifs and ancient iconography, with a primary research focus on the desert architecture of Iran.
Tabasinejad studied art in the United States before returning to Iran, where he received an honorary doctorate recognizing his contribution to the field of Iranian architecture preservation through painting. He also authored the book Three Millennia of Art and Architecture in Iran. Tabasinejad is an expert restorer of ancient artworks and taught art for many years. In 2006, he immigrated to Canada, where he continues his art practice, travelling back to Iran to continue to document the country’s architecture. He has had many solo and group exhibitions, including in Tehran, Iran; Doha, Qatar; Belgrade, Serbia; and New York and Atlanta, US.
The artist would like to acknowledge the BC Arts Council with support from the Province of British Columbia.