Azadeh Elmizadeh works with oils on linen to craft large-scale paintings which blur the boundaries between abstract colour fields and figuration. Silhouettes of salamander birds, mountains or figures hazily come into view from lush washes of earthy, muted tones. Meditating on themes of care, connection and the sublime, narratives form around these dreamy vistas and beings. Urging viewers to rest in this sense of ambiguity, Elmizadeh champions uncertainty as a powerful tool to loosen cultural stereotypes and associations. Drawing on her Iranian heritage, the artist references the conventions of Persian miniature painting within her practice, whilst facets of Sufi cosmology also inform the works. The paintings which emerge from these influences are highly sensorial pieces, with each possessing a distinct emotional charge. With an aim to move beyond the fixity of language, Elmizadeh succeeds by using oils to translate stories across cultures. ...
