Statement:

Strata Gallery presents its first Emerging Member solo exhibition, "Imago," by Phoenix-based artist Mehrdad Mirzaie. The exhibition opens on November 7th, with a special closing reception on November 17th from 5-7 pm.

Mehrdad Mirzaie's artistic journey is deeply intertwined with the convergence of culture, history, and politics. It is fueled by his curiosity about the past and a fervent desire to understand how historical images influence our perceptions of history. Archives, in particular, occupy a central position in his artistic vision, serving as a gateway to explore the intricate layers of human experiences and the passage of time.///

Mehrdad Mirzaie states, “My body of work is characterized by a steadfast dedication to working with a diverse array of images of the past, whether through the curation of new archives or the reinterpretation of existing ones. I firmly believe in the transformative power of historical imagery to inform our present and shape our future. By scrutinizing historical images and the mental images they evoke, my goal is to think about conventional interpretations of the past and investigate how various contexts and audiences, each with their unique backgrounds, can influence our understanding of historical truths. I deeply believe that we cannot claim to fully understand and narrate the truth of what happened in the past. Instead, we can only remember the past through honest narration (with the awareness that it is a personal experience).”

Mehrdad Mirzaie is an Image-Based artist originating from Iran, currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree with a specialization in photography at Arizona State University. He received his BFA in Photography from Art University in Tehran. This is his first solo show in New Mexico.