I was about to be them/there

Abstract

This paper supports my Master of Fine Arts graduation thesis exhibition, I Was About to Be Them/There, presented at the Fifth Parallel Gallery from December 13- 21 in 2023. My MFA exhibition consists of videos of performances, an audio/video installation, and a photograph, through which I convey the experience of being subject to external forces that shape my behavior, thoughts, and emotions. This work offers a metaphoric perspective on my experiences as an Iranian woman, and resonates with the experiences of many other women in our homeland. I aim to share the confusion and paradox that arises from existing in two distinct worlds—here in Regina, tied to Iran—while my loved ones face imminent danger in Iran. I have experienced the simultaneous sensation of being distant from and yet incredibly close to the events unfolding in my country in 2022 and 2023. I Was About to Be Them/There serves as a medium for conveying this bewildering duality and the peril that threatens those dear to me.