Loss, exile and the idiosyncrasies of being uprooted yet pluri-connected sum up Azadeh Ghotbi’s life. Transiency and multiculturalism are her natural elements.
She left her country of origin at an age when one is much too young to comprehend the magnitude of the situation yet old enough to start feeling its consequences. From one day to the next everything she knew, cared for, and took for granted was behind her, out of reach. Numerous cross-continental moves later and despite never having returned ‘home’, the feeling of kinship to it remains strong like a rope that's been frayed yet defiantly holds its grip by some intangible thread.
The invisible scars that come with that life have also borne unexpected gifts of strength, adaptability, empathy, and a heightened sense of observation.
Painting and photography have given voice to her silent thoughts.
Azadeh was born in Iran and is currently based in London. Her work has been exhibited in Europe (Basel, London, Frankfurt, Paris), the Middle East (Amman, Cairo, Dubai) and the United States (Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC).