Sanam Khatibi
Untitled, 2017
Oil on canvas
9 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches
Photo: Gene Ogami.
Sanam Khatibi’s artistic practice is typically more figurative, however in this small natural scene, Khatibi’s interest in the flora and fauna of the environment her figures live in, shines through....
Sanam Khatibi’s artistic practice is typically more figurative, however in this small natural scene, Khatibi’s interest in the flora and fauna of the environment her figures live in, shines through. In Untitled, the forms of gold, brown, and deep green plants burst out of the vague light green masses behind them. Aside from the detailed leaves and branches, the rest of the scene is blurred, with the colors mixing in a haze, as if this is a memory, fading with time. And yet, the darkness of the mossy green void where this ambiguous path leads, contains an apprehension: the unknown. This is the tension between fear and desire which is so intriguing for Khatibi. This landscape is a place of tension, a moment on the edge of beauty and horror ⎯ between two states of being. Khatibi is represented by Mendes Wood DM, PPOW, and Rodolphe Janssen.