ANEESA SHAMI zizzo
Repurposing material is an important part of my practice, and textiles speak to me the most. Currently, I am working with fabric samples from a local design firm in Los Angeles, and use traditional applique techniques to mimic the informal look of collage. Referencing my first trip to Lebanon, I depict specific historical sites and blend them with imagery from Islamic folklore. These abstracted landscapes have formed a new, personal mythos, combining my memories with illustrations of angels, jinn, and the imaginal realm they live in.
Each piece speaks to a larger understanding that we are all fundamentally human. I try to utilize universal themes that the viewer can connect with by referencing the sublime, drawing on world mythologies and sharing an otherworldly sense of the human conscious and subconscious. I want to connect with others on a visceral level through the use of formal elements: movement, color, and form. I hope my work evokes a larger understanding that we are all human and we are all connected.
