I RAN Home (In America)

I RAN Home (In America) seeks to acknowledge Iranian-American art as an important and emerging genre.

Iranian artists have become players in the national and international contemporary art scene, but for the most part, Iranian-American artists have yet to receive the same interest. These artists struggle with many conflicting identities; from those associated with religion, to those of politically-charged violence, to the Iranian culture and traditions under which they were raised. All of these unite in multifaceted and profoundly personal artworks which strive to achieve acceptance and understanding from all viewers. Not only do the works in I RAN Home (In America) achieve this universal appeal, but they educate the American public about Iranian culture and reveal the effects of Diaspora on community identity.

Straight from the Beijing Biennale, works from New York based Pooneh Magazehe's Pioneer series feature raw meat branded with an Islamic pattern used in architectural detailing throughout Iran. Utilizing a custom made branding iron inscribed with this pattern, an act of re-contextualization implies the historic representation of cattle branding, offers a metaphor for migration, references mass marketing, and alludes to branding identities. Originally from the DC Metro area, New York based Eric Robert Parnes appropriates contemporary images and intentionally revises them to reveal the ways in which they have driven war, religion and fashion through time. Locally-based and Iranian-born, Hadieh Shafie explores the fundamental aspects of process, repetition and time throughout her works, which take direct inspiration from the whirling dervish of Sufism.

The artists will create one-of-a-kind designs which will be featured on limited-edition wearable merchandise, available for sale through the duration of the exhibition. A free opening reception will be held Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 7 to 10 pm at The Fridge DC. The Fridge DC is located in the heart of Capitol Hill, along the bustling "Restaurant Row," approximately one block from the Eastern Market Metro Station.