Private View: Thursday, 9th of January 2025, 6-8pm
London (Tower Bridge)
Thick, glossy manes of multicoloured hair carve out sculptural forms, resembling portals, mystical creatures, sacred altars, floral arrangements. Iranian artist Hiva Alizadeh’s practice is rooted in the Persian tradition of carpet weaving and the spiritual symbolism of hair across different cultures. Bare in the Garden, his first solo exhibition at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Tower Bridge, explores the idea of a garden not just as a physical space, but as a psychological realm – a state defined by harmony, introspection and connectedness with nature.
Alizadeh has been working with hair for nearly a decade. Through his practice he pays tribute to the Persian tradition of rug making while bringing his own, distinctly contemporary aesthetic. Each composition is the result of a precise and meditative process, involving sewing synthetic hair strands onto wooden frames. Following the ancient belief that an artist’s emotional energy is translated into his art, he attempts to enter into making each new piece with a clear mind and a positive outlook.
This meditative approach is also connected to his choice of material. In many cultures, including ancient Persia, hair is regarded as a symbol of the connection between humans and the spiritual realm. In Zoroastrianism, it represents the continuous flow of life, the link with natural and divine forces; in Hinduism, long hair is a sign of power and cosmic connection, and in Judaism, maintaining hair is a sign of deep commitment to God. For Alizadeh, each strand of hair 'tells a story of truth as it shifts with the passage of time – a mirror capturing moments and meanings. In my art, hair becomes a pathway through the endless journey of truth, stretching from the depths of the past to the present.’
The colour and tactility of the works also bear a deep emotional resonance. Alizadeh encourages people to touch his sculptures but even just standing in front of them, we can perceive and locate the soft fluidity of the hair in our personal memories, perhaps from childhood, of favourite toys, of brushing our mother’s hair, of family pets or blankets, or perhaps we might find more abstract feelings surfacing, relating to intimacy, comfort and rootedness. In a similar way, the colours that Alizadeh uses, alternating between warm, deep tones and bright fluorescent hues, work to conjure specific moods. Take, for instance, the sculpture which curves outwards into space creating an almost shell-like formation in which we can imagine taking refuge. The hairs in this work are primarily in shades of pink and red, colours that we associate with heat, love and affection. Towards the bottom of the work, where the hairs feather and fray, there is a contrasting band of sky blue, that cuts through the intensity to give us space to breathe.
Elsewhere, luscious waves of cobalt blue evoke the appearance of a waterfall while a curvaceous wall of green, orange, purple and blue recalls a flower bed in bloom. These are Alizadeh’s ‘gardens’: spaces that embrace and envelop the viewer, that calm and nourish the soul.
