SHOLEH ASGARY

A pair of soft sculptures that serve as guardians reference the ancestor in the shape of a shrouded individual and the female anatomy. On the outside, the soft sculptures regally drape and trail, yet, have areas where the fabric's fiber is shredded, while the insides of the shrouds are red, symbolizing strength, energy, or blood. Created for the exhibition "Day of the Dead, Flight of the Ancestors" at Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco, Asgary references the cocoon and the moment of metamorphosis to convey layers and a sense of history through an indeterminate form. At the same time, the patterned fabric serves as a bridge. At the head of each piece is a glowing flower. Shortly after creating these pieces, Asgary read that color is defined as "the attempt of light to become visible, which she interpreted as the perception of color: "the shining flower lights have become beacons, attracting attention to ourselves--that we may be watched, or not alone, that we carry the ancestor in us, and communication with our ancestors may not always be in forms that our rational mind may understand."