Aliye Akbarzade is an Iranian artist based in Toronto, whose artistic journey began in her teenage years. She holds a master of fine arts from the University of Science and Culture in Tehran. Her paintings delve into themes of identity, dislocation, transformation, and vulnerability.
“I see my artistic journey as an ongoing struggle to bridge my emotions and thoughts. My paintings serve as a means of healing and self-discovery. I believe that my job is to observe people and the world around me”. She works with fabrics, textures, and collage, layering and rearranging until something begins to emerge. Sometimes a painting remains close to its original form, while at other times it undergoes a complete transformation. The process is unpredictable, but it is alive, and it’s that liveliness which she holds onto. “For me, collage embodies this idea: it keeps the process visible, open, and breathing, allowing both me and the viewer to sense the hidden paths within the work.”