Fragmented investigates materiality, identity and duality. A candid exploration of memory fragments from my early childhood drawing on the poignancy of ‘the moment before’ we left Iran to come to Australia. The life that I never lived and the shadows of the subconscious.
In this series I document ‘the moment before’ leaving Iran to immigrate to Australia as a young child and in a broader context how the dramatic tension of the various ‘moment before’ significant events in one’s life can shape identity and sense of purpose.
I created an immersive sculptural installation Curfew made up of poppy seeds and bird nests that symbolise the connection I have to my maternal grandmother. The story of her resilience and strength during the war always inspired me. My mother described how she would break curfew and bake bread on the rooftops to feed the family. I installed 15kg of poppy seeds and the smell of bread permeated the space reminding me of her. I also made a short film re-creating the imagery on the canvas in slow motion to bring that ephemeral moment to life.
Nazanin Marashian 