Moon Struck - Mariam Hashemi

About

The paintings in this series were created with "automatist" inspired aesthetics. Dedicated to the Moon, they contemplate the mysterious beauty and meaning of this massive rock orbiting our planet, this timeless poet’s muse. The Moon impacts much on earth, from ocean tides to human behaviour, inspiring millennia of culture and myth. The Earth’s Moon is at once mythical and rooted in the technical and scientific.  The names of her various imaginary Moons evolved from her own encounters of literally being “struck” by its power and beauty. These paintings allow all of us to imagine the many ways we all encounter this beautiful and ancient planetesimal every night.  Even during the dark of the moon, its presence is still palpable as a void. These paintings imagine new ways of seeing our ancient companion. 

Growing up in war torn Tehran, Mariam’s family enveloped her with poetry, art and Persian culture. She relied on her imagination to escape the imminent threat of death each time air raid sirens sounded. The moon was her constant companion on these impactful evenings.

Themes in her work include transdisciplinary interpretations of fine art, philosophy, math and science. She explores the idea of inner worlds, belonging, meaning, purpose and philosophy. “I conduct archeological digs into my own psyche,” she says. “I am continuously searching for universal aesthetics and cosmological significance.”

Her new exhibition, “Moon Struck” appears live and in person at Gallery 1313 in Toronto, and as a virtual show at Cube Gallery online: https://cubegallery.ca/collections/mariam-hashemi