Oftentimes, truth lingers in the in-betweens—in abstract forms and unsaid words. Such is Maysha Mohamedi’s art. Though abstract, it manages to capture the essence of the world around us. “I want to make paintings that feel very true,” said the Iranian-American artist in an interview with Matter of Hand.
For Mohamedi, truth is intuitive. Her work relies on tools and materials that she collected over the years: anything from tar found on the beaches of Santa Barbara to tubes of Middle Eastern paint imported from her mother country of Iran. “Up until now I’ve mainly used oil paint, but I’m starting to use more materials that are handy like pencils, crayons, and acrylic paint; anything that’s easy to apply and dries quickly,” she notes.
Based in Los Angeles, her art has made quite a splash both locally and internationally. A founding member of the Los Angeles art collective, The Binder of Women, Mohamedi’s pieces have been profiled in acclaimed publications such as the LA Times and Huffington Post.
“I’m sort of like a semipermeable membrane,” says Mohamedi. “I just look at what’s around me, watch the thoughts that I have, listen to my children, listen to the air. I’m this filter for whatever’s happening around me.” But at the end of the day, her work is open for interpretation—a dialogue that takes place between the painting and the viewer.
