Beyond the Borders: Parastoo Ahovan Releases Her Masterpieces' Anthology 

Parastoo Ahovan is a visual artist based in New York City, with an MFA from Boston University (2014). Her body of works include a wide range of materials and mediums, including painting, sculpture, installation, mixed media, video, and performance. Recently, Parastoo published her first art book—a project that chronicles her artistic journey from the creation of her early large-scale sculptures to her most recent, delicate paintings.

The release of her book was the perfect opportunity for us to connect with Parastoo and delve deeper into what this collection represents. While discussing her work, she shared the story of how the idea for the book came to life. During an exhibition she had in Argentina, Parastoo had the chance to meet Rita Barrios a photographer and book artist who invited her into her studio. There, she was inspired by the artist’s impressive collection of art books, each one a complete project from photography to design was done by Rita. This experience sparked the desire in Parastoo to collaborate with Rita on her own comprehensive documentation of her art.

Like many artists, Parastoo faced the challenge of not having all her works professionally documented over the years. Some of her older pieces, now in private collections or back in her home country Iran, were difficult to trace, while other works were scattered across old files. Finally, she managed to collect as many images as possible. Although not every image of her early works in the book is perfectly polished, each one carries its own unique story, adding to the authenticity of the collection. After more than 20-30 meetings with Rita, they finally gathered all the images, from her earliest sculptures to her latest paintings, bringing her artistic evolution to life in one beautifully curated volume. In her book, a few pieces hold special significance for Parastoo, one of which is her earliest sculpture, created in 2006. This particular work stands out not only for its place in her artistic timeline but also for the fascinating story behind it that Parastoo shared.

When Parastoo created the Equilibrium sculpture, she was only in her second year of college, facing immense chaos and challenges in bringing such a large-scale piece to life. Despite her hard work and the recognition of receiving the 4th prize—though she had actually been nominated for the 2nd prize—she was ultimately denied her rightful award due to the patriarchal system in Iran. However, the international jury made efforts to preserve her prize. The sculpture, originally intended to be installed at Tehran University, was instead placed in a remote location, in Tehran.
The sculpture embodies a harmonious union between human creativity and the inherent balance of nature. Crafted from sturdy stone and bronze, its form exudes a profound sense of equilibrium, mirroring the natural order often disrupted by human intervention. Yet, within this sculpture, there lies a celebration of nature's resilience and beauty.

The second series that holds a significant narrative is her Stones and Glasses collection. In 2009, these works were scheduled to be exhibited in the United States. They were already packed and shipped when Parastoo received a call from the gallery informing her that, due to international sanctions, her artworks could not be sent to the U.S. As a result, the entire series was returned, unpacked, and remained in her studio for a year. The collection was eventually exhibited at the Dubai Art Fair the following year.

Another piece that means a lot to her is one of her first works after moving to US is a piece titled Book of History. This installation sculpture is a large book consisting of 1,000 pages, with no writing, but containing seven metal spears of different heights piercing through the pages. The number seven is a metaphor for the seven days of the week. The book, which has the dates 6000 BC to the present inscribed on the cover, invites viewers to turn its pages.
As viewers turn the pages, they witness increasing destruction within the book—each page more torn than the last—symbolizing the ongoing devastation, war, and violence in the world. As the viewer progresses closer to the present, more spears appear, representing greater destruction and chaos over time.

Her paintings are also very important to her. Although Parastoo majored in sculpture during her MFA, the mixed nature of some classes, which combined both painting and sculpture students, led her to explore painting. Her advisor, who was a painter, encouraged her to pursue this medium, but she wrestled with self-doubt and had difficulty accepting herself as a painter. For a class assignment, she had to use a canvas and, in a moment of creative experimentation, decided to create a three-dimensional space and a relief that resembled a painting using canvas. She drew a circle and a square on two separate canvases without using any paint. Then, she meticulously separated the warp and weft on half of each design on the canvas and presented the resulting pieces as her paintings. By bringing her three-dimensional, sculptural perspective into the two-dimensional space of the canvas, her work received an overwhelmingly positive response, with everyone marveling at her innovative approach. This moment marked the beginning of her deeper exploration of painting and gave her the confidence to create more pieces and embrace this new form of artistic expression. 

Later, Parastoo expanded her technique of separating the fabric of the canvas and created a series of minimal forms and portraits. For her, these portraits were personal, where the warp and weft of the faces was separated as a symbol of self-censorship, reflecting her experience as a woman who grew up in an Islamic society with many restrictions. Inspired by the Mona Lisa, she incorporated the iconic portrait into her paintings, but with a twist—she tore out parts of the image to hide the famous smile. This act symbolized how expressions, even as simple as a smile, can be suppressed or hidden.

After some time, Parastoo created a new series of photographs using the technique of silk screen printing on canvas, applying the same destructive technique to the faces of the portraits. These photos were selected from the artist's personal album, images of women in Islamic marches in Iran, or images from the 1957 revolution in Iran. This act symbolized how people are not allowed to fully express themselves and served as a form of protest through her art. For the artist, the separation of the warp and weft in the faces or parts of the photos represented the suffocating destruction and duplicity that reflected her rejection of the Islamic regime in her personal life.

In her book Beyond the Borders, Parastoo offers an in-depth look into her artistic process across various mediums. The book is thoughtfully organized, with each section dedicated to a different aspect of her work—sculpture, video, performance, and painting. Through this comprehensive collection, Parastoo shares her creative journey, artist statements, and insights into her evolving body of work. It's a captivating and invaluable addition to any art lover's collection.

To explore and learn about more art works by Parastoo Ahovan 
Visit: https://parastooahovan.com/