The Power of Art #35 Afsoon

Afsoon's paintings and objects often present memories from the past – the time when she lived in her native Iran. Her visual narratives are a form of storytelling and provide a glimpse into her personality, her quirky sense of humour and wit. With her Matchbox series, she not only frolics with these two particular words, which have multiple meanings; she also invites visitors to engage with her work, pairing people according to their looks and to what they say. Will it be a love-match or a mismatch? Socially and culturally, her matchboxes reflect on the importance given to the institution of marriage, and the societal pressure on women to become wives. 

But matchboxes can also be a receptacle for memorabilia. We never know what we may find inside.  Again and again, they can contain a surprise element: burned matches, a child's tooth, a set of hairpins, a button or some coins, and other small personal tokens - possibly expressing Afsoons’ sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place and time.

Image: Afsoon, Made in Heaven II, 2008, detail of matchbox (front and back) with photo-etching, H25 mm x W120 mm x D65 mm

Courtesy ©Afsoon and Renée Pfister, 2021.

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