Be Flat

Statement:

Tala Madani (b. 1981, Tehran, Iran) presents her first solo exhibition in Washington State, featuring all-new work commissioned by the Henry. For this exhibition, the well-known artist expands her investigation of how symbols, language, and mark-making affect society, particularly in shaping power and authority.

Known for paintings and installations that reflect life's complexities and contradictions, the artist often depicts human figures at their most vulnerable, violent, and perplexed, blending ribald humor with dead-serious critical insight. Her characters, along with the detailed cinematic spaces and architectures they inhabit, evoke a haunting sensation as if they have emerged from the unconscious realm of dreams and fantasies.

Madani's use of “projectors” and projected light explores light itself as a medium—brilliant and radiant—but also revealing and exposing.

At the Henry, Madani takes the next step in her practice, deepening her explorations through mural-like paintings, film-strip animations, and a preview of an upcoming feature-length film. Visitors are invited to a multi-sensory experience, encountering and re-encountering Madani’s fantastical characters, the artifice inherent in presentation, and the uncanny aspects of her imagery.