via: ganjgah
Notes:
Maryam Ashkanian’s Sleep Series is a compelling exploration of memory, vulnerability, and the subconscious, executed through intricately embroidered fabric sculptures. By stitching delicate yet expressive portraits of sleeping figures onto soft pillows, Ashkanian transforms a common object of rest into a deeply personal and evocative artwork. The use of embroidery—historically associated with domestic labor and femininity—adds another layer of meaning, as the artist imbues each piece with a sense of care and tenderness while simultaneously challenging traditional notions of craft versus fine art. The series invites the viewer to contemplate the intimate moments of sleep, a state in which we are unguarded, drifting between reality and dreams.
The physicality of Ashkanian’s work is particularly striking. The pillows, sculptural in nature, hold an almost ghostly presence, as if preserving the imprints of their subjects. The raised surfaces of the stitched figures create a sense of movement, as though these sleepers are caught in a liminal space, hovering between presence and absence. The tactile nature of fabric contrasts with the rigidity of traditional portraiture, reinforcing the theme of ephemerality. Her monochromatic palette, often working in shades of white and gray, enhances the dreamlike quality of the series, evoking a quiet, meditative atmosphere that encourages introspection.
Beyond its aesthetic qualities, Sleep Series also speaks to universal human experiences—rest, escape, and the passage of time. Each pillow seems to hold the weight of personal histories, inviting viewers to consider the narratives embedded in these seemingly ordinary objects. There is an almost haunting sense of nostalgia and impermanence in the way the artist captures sleep, a state where the boundaries between past and present, real and imagined, blur. By elevating something as mundane as a pillow into a poetic meditation on existence, Ashkanian offers a powerful reflection on the fragility of life and the fleeting nature of our dreams.
- RJG