Azadeh Elmizadeh

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. ...

Franz Kaka was founded in 2016 as an artist-led gallery, presenting exhibitions that privileged experimentation and risk-taking. In 2019, the gallery began formally representing a number of the artists who had previously exhibited, including Lotus L. Kang, HaeAhn Paul Kwon Kajander, Anne Low, and Elif Saydam. In the years since, the gallery has expanded its international reach through gallery collaborations and art fair participations, including presentations at Art Basel, Frieze London, and the Armory Show. Known for presenting materially curious and conceptually complex exhibitions, the gallery champions nuanced practices that transform and deepen through sustained engagement, fostering dynamic conversations with audiences in Toronto and abroad. ...