An exhibition of light boxes by a young artist, Lili Ameri, titled ‘Transparent - Invisible’ is on display at Tehran’s Shirin Art Gallery till June 24.
Ameri’s exhibition includes 12 light boxes and an installation. A light box is a flat box with a side of translucent glass or plastic and containing an electric light, so as to provide an evenly lighted flat surface or even illumination, such as in an art or photography studio.
Her artworks imply “social pressure on people, but as they are not conscious of what is happening around them, they gradually separate from each other and the gap between them grows larger,” MNA quoted her as saying.
She has used needles as the medium for her works. “The number of needles set next to each other suggests the social pressure while the silhouette seen in the space represents life,” the artist noted.
Ameri believes that people’s vision is somehow blurred in today’s life and everything is wrapped in a mist of vagueness and obscurity. “That is the reason the designs are put in light boxes”.
Music also forms part of the exhibition. “The noisy music accompanying the collection creates a sense of high tension and anxiety; people live with this kind of stress every day, but the lights and shadows in my work suggest a sign of hope and a getaway from the burdens,” she said.
Ameri said she is concerned with the new role of women in society as they are under heavy pressure. “This makes women seek solitude,” she maintained. “It is a social concern affecting both men and women, but women are more prone to its influences.”
Born in Tehran, Ameri, 34, is a graduate in painting from Tehran’s Art and Architecture University. In a note on the exhibition she says, “Struggle is now the essence of our existence, suspended and hung on the tree of life, awaiting the order to be or not to be.”
This is her fourth solo exhibition. The gallery is at No. 5, 13th Alley, Sanai St., Karimkhan Ave.
