Artist statements

Fatima Killeen
“I want people to appreciate how beautiful Islamic Culture is, you have to be at peace with yourself to produce great artwork especially Arab calligraphy” 
Arabic calligraphy and Islamic design informs Fatima Killeen’s personal and often politically charged work. Fatima’s art invites a dialogue about Islam, cross-cultural identity and global politics as viewed through a contemporary Australian experience.
Born in Casablanca, Fatima Killeen studied at "Les Beaux Arts" School of Fine Art in Morocco and later the Corcoran School of Art in Washington DC. Upon moving to Australia in 1994 Fatima studied painting and printmaking at the Canberra School of Art.
Her work is represented in the collections of The Australian War Memorial, The Australian National University, The Human Rights Commission, Canberra Museum and Gallery and The National Museum of Australia.

Maiju  Altpere-Woodhead
The works in this exhibition address the potential of memory and narrative in negotiations of place and belonging, particularly in conditions of physical and cultural dislocation.
Since migrating to Australia from Estonia sixteen years ago, my sense of belonging has become increasingly divided. In this body of work I continue to investigate the hybrid nature of memory, issues of personal meaning-making and memory processes by utilising a ceramic mono-printing method that combines elements of classical intaglio and mono-print with ceramic materials and processes. This overlaying of processes and mediums allows me to reflect on the blurred boundary between past and present, expressing the mutability and unpredictability of memories, the discord between the imagined and the real and the shifting nature of identity itself.

Silvia Velez
Working predominantly in photography, digital and new media, Colombian-born artist Silvia Velez has created for this exhibition a collection of images that are personal reflections on life in an adopted home.
“My attachment to Lake Ginninderra started the very first time I walked around it. Having just arrived from Colombia I could not believe the sense of freedom and space of this peaceful place. I was awed by it all – the playgrounds, the families around the barbeques, and even the clean toilets spaced around the lake amazed me. Over the years, I have walked, pushed prams and watched as my daughters learned to ride bikes around the lake – and, all along, its beauty has been sustained. When I walk around the lake I feel I belong here, and that is the most treasured gift when you live so far away from your homeland. This work is a reflection on that sense of hope and peace”.

Nasser Palangi
“The idea for these works came to me when I first encountered different countries and societies. I am struck by the common experience and the similarity of expression on people’s faces across all cultures. Faces show all the gamut of emotions experienced by people struggling with the challenges of the modern nihilistic period of our history. Out of my exploration a new allegorical and symbolic form of art portraiture has developed.”
Iranian born artist Nasser Palangi has exhibited around the world including Asia, Europe, Canada, Arab countries, U.S.A. and Australia.
During the first Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), he spent three years as a War Artist creating drawings, paintings and photographs. Nasser is well known for his mural painting. Examples of his work can be found around the world including “My Memory of the War” commissioned by the congregational mosque of Khorramshahr.

Farideh Zariv
“In my experience art is the greatest and most effective way to influence deep human emotions because it is a tangible language”.

Born in Tehran, Iran Farideh Zariv has worked as an artist for over twenty years. Farideh has taken part in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Her art is held in private and public collections in Tehran, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, as well as Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi, Seattle, Toronto, Mexico City, Dubai and Cape Town.
Through the paintings in this exhibition Farideh explores the history and cultural meaning embedded in the delicate design and amazing detail of the Iranian textile tradition.

Fatemeh Palangi
“This work is part of a series of works that I have done about nomadic women in Iran. My aim is to celebrate the talent of the Iranian women whose works have always been displayed and appreciated in museums, galleries and in homes while their faces and names have always remained anonymous”.

Fatemeh has been a practising artist for over 10 years and has been part of a variety of group and solo exhibitions across Australia and internationally in many countries including Canada, China, Dubai and Iran.

In 2008 Fatemeh earned a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the Australian National University.