STATMENT
MAHNAZ EKHTIARY
I always draw. For me, drawing is, above all, a way of living. It is at the centre of my artistic practice.
When we draw, among all the lines we trace, we must be able to find the right one. This process closely resembles life. In the midst of complexity and chaos, among infinite possibilities and directions, we must learn to recognise our own path and find our way.
Another aspect of drawing that I deeply value is its ability to accompany us at every moment. We do not necessarily have to be well in order to draw. We can draw when we are happy, angry, confused, or sad. Every emotional state can become part of the creative gesture and find its own expression through drawing.
When we draw, we are completely immersed in our emotions. At the same time, we must remain rational and capable of managing them.
Drawing is an attitude that can extend to every aspect of life. It means observing, making connections, questioning what we see, and searching for what is not yet visible. In drawing, colour becomes a tool for both observation and expression.
Experimentation is a fundamental part of my artistic practice. Through ink, watercolour, acrylic, oil paint, and other techniques, I try not to maintain complete control over the outcome. I am interested in leaving space for the unexpected and allowing certain things to happen by chance.
In this sense, stains hold a particular value for me. They can become a starting point from which to approach what is hidden, what I do not yet know, and what may perhaps belong to the realm of the unconscious.
I use different materials — paper, fabric, wood, resins, and other elements — because each possesses its own expressive potential. Over time, fabric, with its ability to take on volume, movement, and form, has become a central element of my research.
Its softness has gradually given way to rigidity, and fabric has transformed into sculpture. I am interested in allowing the material itself to determine the direction of the work.
I feel a strong need for research and expressive freedom, alongside the necessity of confronting limits, rules, and external expectations. On the one hand, I would like the concept to determine the medium. On the other, I am interested in inhabiting the space between different languages.
I combine techniques and materials to create a space in which categories can be questioned. I do not want my artistic practice to be limited to one medium or one definition.
My desire to gain greater awareness has led me to reflect on myself, on the human condition, and on the relationship between the individual and the environment.
There are many voices that coexist within me. My work gives me the possibility to listen to them, understand them, and discover which voices truly belong to me.
The body has progressively taken on a central role in my research. Before studying fashion, I drew on paper and canvas. Later, the surface of the drawing expanded onto fabric and, subsequently, onto the body itself.
The body thus becomes a surface for intervention, but also a space in which mark, matter, and form enter into dialogue. From this perspective, clothing transcends its function and becomes an integral part of a sculptural and performative investigation.
It becomes an element capable of engaging with the body, altering its perception, and generating new forms and expressive possibilities.
Moving away from my country of origin allowed me to observe myself from a new perspective and experience a different form of independence. My relationship with the place I come from has never been linear.
Over time, I have experienced nostalgia, distance, criticism, doubt, regret, reconciliation, and finally, a renewed awareness of my origins and of the place where I live today.
My country of origin has remained present in my thoughts and, inevitably, in my work as well. However, I would not want my artistic practice to be reduced to a definition.
I am not interested in simplifying my experience. Nor do I want the art world to transform my research into a label capable of limiting its freedom.
My practice emerges from this space of artistic investigation. Through drawing, painting, sculpture, and material experimentation, I try to give form to what I am not yet able to fully name.
Form often emerges from intuition, and the artistic gesture becomes a way of entering into a relationship with both the conscious and the unconscious.
The hand, a recurring element in my work, takes on the symbolic value of consciousness, memory, and action.
Nature, on the other hand, represents a constant presence, a place of refuge, and a source of stillness.
I have divided my work into three main areas of research: the Human Being, the City — the place where we live — and Nature, understood as our origin.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I don`t want to put my clothes on someone. I want to put them in his/her mind.
GALLERY
Mahnaz Ekhtiary’s practice is structured around four distinct categories, each reflecting a key aspect of her artistic research. Her work explores the interconnected relationships between humans, nature, and materials, bringing them together through a cohesive and evolving visual language.

