MARJANE SAIDI

ARTIST BIO

Originally from Iran, Marjane was a teenager when she left her native country a few years after the 1979 Revolution. She has spent most of her life outside her country of origin, first in Paris where she did her higher education in economics and finance, then in Montreal where she has lived for more than twenty years. Her sources of inspiration come from her vacation trips to Iran where she recharges her batteries with the lights, colors and scents of the country. Before devoting herself to painting, Marjane has worked as a freelance writer in the field of economics, then as a financial consultant. She rubbed shoulders with painting out of sensitivity for years until she replaced her profession out of passion in 2015 when she decided to devote herself to it assiduously. Marjane presents herself as a self-taught emerging painter since she has not had an academic background in art. However, she believes that where training is lacking, passion takes over. Marjane paints in acrylics and watercolor. She has also developed her style in digital art.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My paintings represent fragments of memories from my Persian heritage that I try to keep alive to the rhythm of my thoughts, as in the souvenir albums. I try to show a magical world of escape and freedom. I take my inspiration from Persian literature, poetry and mysticism. I use decorative ornaments, traditional architectural elements, ceramic art and Persian rug designs, projecting them to the forefront. All the decorative elements that I use are an integral part of nature and it is this game of confusion that I like to highlight through open windows here and there on the painting. The dove, the horse and the goldfish occupy a special place on my canvases. Symbols of freedom and peace, strength and life, they add to the soul and essence of my paintings. Finally, female figures are the key element in many of my paintings. They are my storytellers transmitting the emotions, the nostalgia and the memories that inhabit them. With their jet-black hair in the wind, they affirm their identity, their femininity and their strength. They tell their stories and their hopes and represent an ode to freedom. I want my paintings to be a refreshing break for viewers by bringing them a positive outlook and a sense of peace and serenity.


www.marjanesaidiart.com
IG: @marjane.saidi