Image Credits: Courtesy of the artist.

Member's Gallery

Cloud & Wind (ابر و باد)

Artist

Baśka Szóstak + Sarvenaz Rayati

Exhibition Dates:

December 8, 2023

- December 29, 2023

Opening Reception:

December 8, 2023 7:00 pm

You are invited to the inner world of Baśka Szóstak, where her art is a manifestation of the unseen, a canvas where emotions take shape and stories unravel without the confines of conscious thought. Each stroke, colour, and character represents a facet of her inner world. A portrayal of the intricate dance of navigating life’s complexities.

Cloud & Wind (ابر و باد) delves into a landscape both tumultuous and harmonious weaving a narrative that embodies the weight of depression — its suffocating heaviness, its immobilizing grip shown through the ominous, ugly dark cloud depicted throughout her artwork. Yet, amidst this darkness, there exist other characters: the soft, seemingly ordinary figure concealing the burden of internal struggles, as well as the beacon of hope, the embodiment of light and the magic of the universe -the aspirations and achievements that illuminate the artist’s path.

This body of work reflects a personal journey of growth and transition, a journey marked by the pursuit of understanding oneself. Szóstak offers a glimpse into vulnerability sharing parts of her soul, a revelation of aspects long kept hidden. Confronting the unseen and an ode to the beauty that arises from embracing one’s truth. It’s a cathartic unveiling — an invitation to witness the evolution and embrace the struggles.

Abr o Baad
(ابر و باد ) *

Heritage, the self, path, nature, the act of seeking are the recurrent themes in my work. Persian Miniatures, film stills and graphic novels inspire my visual language.

This body of work started as an exploration of colour, poetry, geometry, visual storytelling, … in Persian Miniatures during my residency at TPL;

The pieces convey personal stories of my connection to Persian heritage, land, self and search for transformation.

If I describe it using only words, these are it:

Silence,…plains & mountains,…traces of heritage, …geometry & ecstasy, failing & falling,…bruises & pain,…light,…explosion,…expansion,…illumination

* The Art of floating paint on water and transferring into paper. This technique became widespread throughout the Persianate world during the 16th and 17th centuries CE. Paper marbling is thought to have emerged in the regions of greater Iran and central Asian by late 15th century.

Artist Biographies:

Baśka Szóstak is a painter and textile artist born in Ireland to Polish parents. She has always swung between art and film. After completing her BA (Hons) in Art and Design in Textiles from GMIT, Ireland, she relocated to Vancouver in 2018. This move ignited Szostak’s artistic evolution, a shared studio space serving as the catalyst. Since then, she has engaged in public art, murals, live painting, and exhibitions across Ireland, the UK, and Canada as well as working behind the scenes in the art department of film and TV.

Using paint, colour pencil and textile techniques, she experiments with materials and colour to produce vivid and brightly coloured expressive works of art. Through expressive and intuitive art, she delves into emotions and interpersonal connections. Each piece serves as a canvas for unspoken feelings, inviting viewers on a journey through the intricacies of the human experience. The artwork resonates as a reflection of personal experiences, exploring the universal language of emotions and fostering connections between diverse audiences.

Sarvenaz Rayati is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto. She received her BA in painting and visual communication from art university in Tehran. She has exhibited her works in Tehran, New York and Toronto. Her two ongoing public art projects are tree-inspired light installations and mosaic murals. Her latest light installation was part of Nuit Blanche Etobicoke projects 2023 at Humber College.