Statement:

+2 is proud to announce Contemplations, the latest solo exhibition by Ida Aslanian, opening Friday, October 11th, the show will be on view through November 1st, 2024. Contemplations marks the artist's first collaboration with Dastan.///

In Contemplations, Ida Aslanian presents a series of abstract works that deconstruct and simplify elements of Safavid miniatures. These intricate Persian artworks, known for their use of multiple panels depicting various stories and scenes, are reinterpreted by Aslanian into geometric compositions.

By stripping away figurative, symbolic, and ornamental details, she isolates the underlying frameworks—panels, squares, and rectangles—that structure the original miniatures.

Viewed from a distance, her works appear as abstract, geometric fields, but upon closer inspection, they reveal subtle movements and layered narratives reminiscent of their historical counterparts.

The abstract nature of Aslanian's work is heightened by her choice to leave most pieces untitled. This allows viewers to engage with the paintings free from preconceived notions, encouraging personal interpretation and emotional response.

Aslanian’s innovative use of materials is central to her practice. Working with a diverse range of mediums—black mortar, rice paper, silk paper, wood, and acrylic—she creates a complex interplay between solidity and fragility.

Black mortar often applied to wood, provides a dense, textured foundation, while the delicate rice paper adds depth and lightness.

These materials allow Aslanian to experiment with layering and juxtaposition rather than relying on traditional perspective, further contributing to the abstract quality of her work.

The exhibition also reflects Aslanian’s dual cultural influences. Her Iranian heritage informs the structural abstraction and absence of figural representation in her works, while her years in Switzerland have introduced a subtler, more restrained palette of blacks and greys.

These hues, rich in nuance, allow her to explore contrasts between light and shadow, presence and absence.