Image advertising the exhibition "Khorshid Khanoom."
Khorshid khanoom, which translates as lady sun, is a common motif in Iranian folk art that is an emblem of the sun, depicted as a woman. It is an ancient symbol of the matriarch which embodies the fiery strength and resilience that runs through the ancestry of Iranian women and femmes.
Curated by Nicole Shostak-Sabourian
Viewing by appointment Monday - Thursday 9 am - 3 pm, March 13 - April 8
Email to book viewing time: [email protected]
Address:
5757 West Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Image of a young woman wearing the orange "Khorshid Khanoom" hoody against a backdrop of a couple of pieces from the exhibit.
KHORSHID KHANOOM SWEATSHIRT
$75
In solidarity with the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran, our exhibiting artists Jasmine Djavahery and Zahra Hooshyar co-designed this wearable art which reads "Khorshid Khanoom", "lady sun" in Farsi, as a symbol of the feminine power leading this fight for freedom. Your purchase will support the the partnering non-profits, Sovern LA and Middle East Matters.
Sovern's collaborative team who put together the Khorshid Khanoom exhibit and programming thought long and hard about how to be of best use in solidarity with the current revolution unfolding and the courageous women putting their lives at stake to fight for their human rights in Iran. Youth and female led felt like a fitting partner as they share news that is rarely reported outside of domestic news outlets in the Middle East. The organization finds first-hand sources on the ground and then amplifies their voices to unite a new generation of activists standing up for each other across nations.
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Jasmine Djavahery
Jasmine Djavahery,
بعد از ظهر
(afternoon), ceramic, 2022, and tablecloth, date unknown, embroidered by artist's grandmother, Parvaneh Shahbandi
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An artist of Iranian descent, born in Los Angeles and currently based in the Bay Area, Djavahery graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a dual B.A. in Critical Race/Ethnic Studies and Fine Art.
“I am inspired by the strong matriarch who raised me and all the resilient women who came before her. I weave iconography found in Persian illuminated manuscripts, rugs and mosaics into my designs, connecting me to a homeland I have never been to. Relief printing grounds me in the tradition of Qalamkar, Persian woodblock printing which is often used to create intricate multi-colored patterns on rugs. Seizing the means of my printing practice allows me to subvert the Western gaze to create art that is accessible and true to my own experience living in the diaspora.” |
Zahra Hooshyar
Zahra Hooshyar, Pomegranate Lover with Agha Khorshid Cups, ceramic and found fabrics, 36" x 40", 2022
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Born in Morgantown, West Virginia, Hooshyar moved to California in 2017 where she later attended the University of California-Davis and graduated with a dual BA in studio art and Persian studies in 2022. Her body of work ranges from sculptural installations and ephemeral moments, to fragile collisions of found objects.
Oftentimes Hooshyar finds themselves uncovering stories of their heritage, community and space around them. Often asking the viewer to become the participant, Hooshyar is a believer that art should not only be seen, but also experienced. Hooshyar focuses on the Iranian Diaspora, feelings of belonging, memories and environmental issues. Utilizing stories and poems from her mother and father, Hooshyar finds great importance in the preservation of their culture through storytelling, investigation and imagination. |
