Statement:

Tala Madani (b. 1981, Tehran, Iran) presents her first solo exhibition in Washington State, featuring all-new work commissioned by the Henry. For this exhibition, the well-known artist expands her investigation of how symbols, language, and mark-making affect society, particularly in shaping power and authority. ///

Known for paintings and installations that reflect life's complexities and contradictions, the artist often depicts human figures at their most vulnerable, violent, and perplexed, blending ribald humor with dead-serious critical insight. Her characters, along with the detailed cinematic spaces and architectures they inhabit, evoke a haunting sensation as if they have emerged from the unconscious realm of dreams and fantasies.

Madani's use of “projectors” and projected light explores light itself as a medium—brilliant and radiant—but also revealing and exposing.

At the Henry, Madani takes the next step in her practice, deepening her explorations through mural-like paintings, film-strip animations, and a preview of an upcoming feature-length film. Visitors are invited to a multi-sensory experience, encountering and re-encountering Madani’s fantastical characters, the artifice inherent in presentation, and the uncanny aspects of her imagery.