Written by Puck Kroon

The work of Narges Mohammadi (b. 1993, somewhere between Kabul and Tehran, AF) is rooted in her personal history, marked by experiences from two very different cultures. She draws on the endlessly rich in between space in which she moves. In monumental installations, she depicts the ambiguity of life where memories, belonging, solace, loss, mourning, traditions and alternative modes of exchange are central.

Her sculptures, often composed in series, consist of unexpected but recognisable materials: halva, concrete, gum, clay and soap. Narges works in a disciplined manner with large quantities of the same material from which she forms objects, encapsulates them, covers them with or carves them. The materiality of the spatial installations creates a certain lightness or weightiness.

As a sculptor of memory, Narges translates diverse experiences into tributes such as her children’s room, home care and Persian traditions. In doing so, she creates space for the viewer to come to contemplation, empathy, consciousness and reflection. The layering of intimate experiences from her life, Narges reflects in a visually accessible way, allowing the viewer to become part of an (un)known story.