Mohadese Mohaved at Montreal's Art Mur
Tranquil street views not always what they seem
Mohadese Mohaved, “Shut Down,” 2024, acrylic and oil on canvas, 40" x 60" (photo by Kamran Safari, courtesy of the artist)
The latest series of paintings by Iran-born Canadian artist Mohadese Mohaved delivers a poignant visual narrative through a symphonic interplay of light and shadow against urban streetscapes.
Yet beneath her tranquil street views lie subtle references to violence, oppression, and resistance, revealed through visual elements such as posters, graffiti, and wall inscriptions, as well as the appearance of female figures, whose sense of presence is ghostly, indirect, yet strong and resistant.
Drawing from her upbringing in post-revolutionary Iran and her experiences as an immigrant, the artist’s latest series deepens her investigation into “the interplay between space, power, and art,” she says.
At the same time, it expands her visual narratives of public spaces as sites of political and social contention.
The new work will be presented in Mohaved’s latest solo exhibition, The Voices of Feathers, The Voices of Daggers, on view at Art Mur from Jan. 11 to March 1, 2025.
Mohadese Mohaved, “Burden of a Dream,” 2024, acrylic and oil on canvas, 24" x 30" (photo by Kamran Safari, courtesy of the artist)
The exhibition title is inspired by a line from Iranian contemporary poet Yadollah Royaee, whose distinctive and philosophical language has had a significant influence on modern Iranian poetry.
The culturally and politically dynamic street view and public spaces are one of Mohaved’s longtime favourite subjects, originating from her childhood and current experience of displacement and the ongoing need to adapt to unfamiliar environments.
However, a transition of styles from Surrealism to a more authentic depiction of the street view can be noticed in this new series. Unlike her previous series, which focused on more fantastical and imaginary settings, the streets depicted in her new work are more realistic. They are not based on specific locations, though, but are “a blend of various scenes drawn from my memories of living and working in different places,” she notes.
Mohadese Mohaved, “Welcome Home,” 2023, acrylic and oil on canvas, 60" x 66" (photo by Kamran Safari, courtesy of the artist)
In this new work, set against the backdrop of tranquil streets, the presence of females is absolute and striking, although they are depicted as outlines of shadow or with only part of their bodies exposed to the viewers or illuminated by light.
Their shadowy presence embodies a quiet yet powerful resistance, echoing the enduring resilience of Iranian women in the context of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement as they assert their rights and visibility in public spaces. Some of the adult female figures in the paintings are self-referentially drawn from the artist's own image.
“In this way, these paintings can also be seen as my visual biography,” she says.
“We are here. Simply being present in public spaces is our way of reclaiming our streets and asserting our right to exist openly, without concealing our bodies,” she says.
Mohadese Mohaved, “No U-Turn,” 2023, acrylic and oil on canvas, 24" x 30" (photo by Kamran Safari, courtesy of the artist)
For Mohaved, painting is “a form of limitation, where constraints allow for deeper engagement from the viewer, expanding their imagination and interpretation.” Meanwhile, the artist also views the act of painting and image making as “an accessible way of getting involved.”
Graffiti and wall inscriptions are also recurring visual motifs in Mohaved’s work. Street walls, along with the writings and imagery they bear, hold a significant and symbolic presence in her practice. For Mohaved, walls represent restriction, authority, and control, but also serve as "stages of storytelling."
“In Iran, the street walls are always used by the authority as content platforms and brainwashing tools, telling us how to be good citizens and good women,” she says.
In contrast, graffiti and inscriptions are “powerful symbols of resistance, struggle, and the voices of marginalized communities.”
Since moving to Vancouver in 2020 and working in the city’s Downtown Eastside, Mohaved has been deeply influenced by the displacement, turbulence, and social conflicts she encounters daily.
Like her memories of Iran, these experiences have also compelled her to explore street art, graffiti and wall inscriptions in her work. She regards these elements as forms of protest and civil disobedience, as well as creative expressions of dissent.
"They are powerful mediums through which individuals voice their concerns and challenge societal structures," she says.
“The only thing I can do right now is to witness.” ■
Mohadese Mohaved's The Voices of Feathers, The Voices of Daggers, is on view at Art Mur in Montreal, Que. from Jan. 11 to March 1, 2025.
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