Golnaz Payani at Praz-Delavallade Projects Los Angeles

Praz-Delavallade Projects Los Angeles is pleased to announce the opening of On the Other Side of the Wall, with Franco-Iranian artist Golnaz Payani. This marks Payani’s first exhibition in Los Angeles. On the Other Side of the Wall, opens at Praz-Delavallade Projects Los Angeles on Saturday 13 January and will run through 15 February 2024.

Through a series of works which are the result of a meticulous weaving process, she skillfully reinvents a historical narrative embedded within her found antique frames. For Payani, arranging these portraits is akin to a ritual. It transforms the blank canvas of walls into relics, preserving elusive traces of our beloved figures – encapsulating the very essence and memories held within their faces.

Rooted in her childhood experiences during the Iran-Iraq war in Tehran, Payani explores themes of disappearance and trace, profoundly influenced by the persistent phenomenon of missing individuals in post-war Iran. Her narrative intertwines with her adolescent years, marked by the weight of enforced veiling, which transformed her perception of fabric; from playful objects into symbols of oppression.

However, her artistic journey took a transformative turn upon her relocation to France in 2009. This shift sparked a profound exploration into the unseen, reigniting her connection with fabric. Within her practice, Payani aims to liberate the trace from its source, allowing it to forge its own unique identity.

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Photo: Golnaz Payani, On the Other Side of the Wall, Installation View at Praz-Delavallade Projects Los Angeles, Image by Simon Cardoza