
Abdollah Nafisi
Vulnerability, 2023
Oak wood, paint
140 x 88 x 21cm
Abdollah Nafisi is an artist and sculptor exploring emergent methods of form-making using organic materials. His works are predominantly made of rescued local wood, through which he explores the themes of heritage and temporality with elements such as fire and metal. Through these charred and polished conversations, we witness contrasting states of material; both worked and unworked. Honouring the process of spontaneity, he examines the parallel ecologies of nature and of man, reflecting on our moments of connection and dis-connection. His latest practice explores the creation of a new hybrid language that utilises sound and performance to further delve into the concept of inter-connectivity. Born in Tehran, Abdollah spent several years traveling with Iran's nomadic tribes, immersing himself in their craft legacy and studying the improvisation techniques of the handmade rugs and kilims created in direct response to their landscape. He used this period to investigate the present significance of humanity's connection to nature. His subsequent work addresses the tensions of our contemporary times and encourages a discourse on materiality, technology, and connectivity with the land and oneself; gesturing towards a liminal horizon beyond a utopian or dystopian vision. ‘Vulnerability' - incorporating a bentwood element from fellow artist Charlie Whinney - speaks to the phenomena of metamorphosis; our inherent fluidity and capacity to move through suffering in order to break through, to evolve.
Abdollah Nafisi is an artist and sculptor exploring emergent methods of form-making using organic materials. His works are predominantly made of rescued local wood, through which he explores the themes of heritage and temporality with elements such as fire and metal. Through these charred and polished conversations, we witness contrasting states of material; both worked and unworked. Honouring the process of spontaneity, he examines the parallel ecologies of nature and of man, reflecting on our moments of connection and dis-connection. His latest practice explores the creation of a new hybrid language that utilises sound and performance to further delve into the concept of inter-connectivity. Born in Tehran, Abdollah spent several years traveling with Iran's nomadic tribes, immersing himself in their craft legacy and studying the improvisation techniques of the handmade rugs and kilims created in direct response to their landscape. He used this period to investigate the present significance of humanity's connection to nature. His subsequent work addresses the tensions of our contemporary times and encourages a discourse on materiality, technology, and connectivity with the land and oneself; gesturing towards a liminal horizon beyond a utopian or dystopian vision. ‘Vulnerability' - incorporating a bentwood element from fellow artist Charlie Whinney - speaks to the phenomena of metamorphosis; our inherent fluidity and capacity to move through suffering in order to break through, to evolve.