Sanam Khatibi
Sanam Khatibi | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Known for | Painting, sculpture, embroidery, tapestry |
Sanam Khatibi (born 1979 Tehran, Iran) is a Belgian artist who lives and works in Brussels, Belgium. Her work consists of paintings, embroideries, tapestries, and sculptures. Themes of her work relate to humanity's primal instincts and animality, male-female dynamics, balance of power between the sexes, domination and submission, and fear and desire. Her works have been shown in solo and group exhibitions in Europe and the U.S.[1][2][3]
Work
Khatibi cites Frida Kahlo, Hieronymus Bosch, and Henry Darger as her sources of inspiration, as well as classic Persian mythology and works of literature such as the Book of Kings and Kalila and Demna. Khatibi's paintings often resemble Renaissance imagery, with groups of almost transparent nude female figures against backgrounds of pastel-coloured landscapes.[4] The ghost-like women interact with the surrounding wildlife and explore their animal impulses.[5] Her work is seen as putting "a contemporary spin on surrealism and the uncanny."[6]
A self-taught artist,[3][7] Khatibi is described as "guided by an untamed instinct", and "each work seems to be an invitation to a sexual game, tender or brutal, romantic or savage."[7] Khatibi explains, “No matter how much society tries to cover it up, no matter how polite and educated we act, our impulses remain primitive.”[5]
The emotional tone of her work is considered benign, despite the underlying themes: "Along with the apparent bestiality and the violence of the depicted scenes, the artist keeps an amused eye on the joyful carnival."[8] Furthermore, "her female subjects are presented as protagonists, not victims. They hunt, tame, or seduce the wild beasts, rather than being ravaged by them."[9]
Khatibi says her female figures are "the predators, the dominant figures, who are quite impulsive and playful... often depicted within the same plane as the flora and fauna."[10] A review notes that "the women have an ambiguous relationship with power, violence, sensuality, and one another."[11] Khatibi adds that “I suppose they are all me—and they are all bits and pieces of us all.”[11]
Life
Khatibi fled Iran with her family at age eight during the Iran–Iraq War. She describes that frightening time: "Being bombed and thrown off your bed in the middle of the night, having to flee your country not knowing whether you’ll ever come back, those are memories that stick with you for life."[5] She lived in the United Kingdom and Denmark before moving to Brussels, where she grew up and studied. She recalls that her artistic desire arose during early childhood: "I remember when I was five or six and I made my first real drawing, that was a very visceral moment that has always stayed with me. I kept on drawing and when I actually started to paint, I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to do."[5]
Selected solo exhibitions
Khatibi has shown her work in various exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States. Notable solo exhibitions include:
- Séduire ou crever de faim, Island, Brussels, Belgium (2014)
- Ask me nicely, Trampoline, Antwerp, Belgium (2015)
- The hollow in the ferns, NICC Vitrine, Brussels, Belgium (2016)
- Le jardin décomposé, Super Dakota, Brussels, Belgium (2016)
- No Church in the wild, The Cabin LA, Los Angeles CA, USA (2017)
- With tendresse and longing, Billboard Series #6: Art in Public Space, Artlead, Gent, Belgium (2017)
- Rivers in your mouth, Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels, Belgium (2017)
- Wild Mink, Artlead Salon, Brussels, Belgium (2018) [2]
Selected group exhibitions
- Quel amour!, MAC, Musée d’Art Contemporain, Marseille, France, 2018
- NICC 20 Years Jubilee, NICC, Antwerp, Belgium, 2018
- Hecate, Various Small Fires, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2017
- Summer in the City, Christine Konig Gallery, Vienna, Austria, 2016
- Biennial of Painting, Museum of Deinze, Deinze, Belgium, 2016
- Balls & Glory, rodolphe janssen, Brussels, Belgium, 2016
- Louise 186, Brussels Art Days, Brussels, Belgium, 2015
- Me, myself and I, trampoline, Antwerp, Belgium, 2015[1]
References
- ^ a b "Sanam Khatibi". Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ^ a b "Rodolphe Janssen: Sanam Khatibi". www.rodolphejanssen.com. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b "'Rivers in Your Mouth' by Sanam Khatibi at Rodolphe Janssen Gallery, Brussels". Blouin Artinfo. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ^ Rizzo, Cailey (2017-07-02). "Artist Reimagines Renaissance Era Paintings with Powerful Women". Vice: Creators. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b c d "Sanam Khatibi on 'Rivers in Your Mouth'". www.bruzz.be. 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
- ^ "The Human Condition". I Love Belgium. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ^ a b "Sanam Khatibi: Rivers in your mouth - at Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels". artlead.net. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ^ "Sanam Khatibi: Le jardin décomposé". MutualArt. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ^ "Breakout Talents". The Artsy Vanguard. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ^ Schelfhout, Dorien (2016-08-29). "The intricate and intriguing work of Brussels-based artist Sanam Khatibi". The Word Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ a b Lesser, Casey (2016-06-10). "These 20 Female Artists Are Pushing Figurative Painting Forward". Artsy. Retrieved 2018-04-25.