PARIMAH AVANI
My works challenge power structures in dominant narratives, political erasure, and oppression by applying biomimetic and ecological approaches to make a decolonial connection between the memory of materials and the identities of places. Transparency is a key in my practice, making the invisible visible. By referring to invisible histories, hidden stories, and gender and environmental erasures. Inspired by cave paintings, my pieces feature rebellious gestural figures, a constructed visual lexicon of archaic and codified symbols, rebel motifs, and rituals to examine performativity of defiance in human and more-than-human beings.
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Drawing from my transcultural identity, shaped by nomadic life, struggles, and the agency of gendered and racial apartheid, grounded in experiences in Iran and Europe. Embodying a form of transformative resistance, akin to alchemy, through a restrained palette of metal hues—gold, silver, copper, bronze, and black. A language forged by censorship and exclusion navigates the boundary between visibility and invisibility.
Materials such as transparent glass, gauze, fabric, threads, glue, and surgical tools, alongside ephemeral natural and sustainable substances such as soil, seeds, water, and plant powders, emphasize the urgency of repair and the deconstruction of dominant narratives to build infrastructures for emerging counter-narratives. These figures highlight how, in the dismantling of hierarchical systems, the body becomes a battlefield, a golden source of sacrifice, and a silver font of resistance, honoring coexistence and posthuman resistance.
Parimah Avani is a nomadic Iranian-born artist, writer, and poet based in Toronto. Holding a PhD in Contemporary Art History from Rome Sapienza with honors and distinction (2021), she is recognized as a key voice in Persian Hermetic literature. Her works challenge power structures and oppressive hierarchical systems through decolonial, biomimetic, and ecological approaches, engaging with questions of human and more-than-human justice. Inspired by cave paintings, her pieces feature rebellious gestural figures, a constructed visual lexicon of archaic and codified motifs, articulating the dynamic of defiance as sites of posthuman resistance. By unveiling erased histories and hidden narratives, Avani employs transparency as a radical strategy to make the invisible visible. Avani’s works have been exhibited internationally across Europe, Africa, North America, and Latin America. She has participated in residencies worldwide. Her practice has been featured in publications in Canada, Italy, and Iran. She is Founder and President of Cartographies of Flux, a transcultural arts organization based in Ontario, Canada. Her works are held in private and public collections internationally
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Born in 1988 in Tehran, IR
Nomadic Artist based in Toronto, CA
Education
2019, PhD in History of Contemporary Art, Sapienza University, Rome, IT
2014, Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Fine Art Academy, Rome, IT
2011, BA in Performing Arts and Multimedia Art, Roma Tre University, Rome, IT
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025, Trail, Snail Slow Culture, Manitoulin Eco Park, Manitoulin Island, CA
2024, Fragments of Resistance, Archeological Museum, Livorno Ferraris, IT
2024, Weight of Waters, Decolonization of Mundi Festival, Biblioteca Universitaria, Genova, IT
2023, Heroine’s Journey, Werkstatt Plettenberg, The Sparkasse, Plettenberg, DE
2022, Calligraphy of Body, Luoghi Comuni, San Paolo Fondation, Turin, IT
Selected Group Exhibitions and Performances
2025, Absent Matter(s), New Futures, August House, Johannesburg, SA
2025, VAZIOsobreTERRA, MABE BELÉM Art Museum, Belém, BR
2025, The Earth Day, We Collective Art, OSA, Ottawa, CA
2025, Farewell, UKAI, Toronto, CA
2025, Grandma’s Verandah, Brief Shalimar, Spéos International Photography School, Paris, FR
2025, Berlin-Sydney, Local Edition, Sydney, AU
2024, Underlands, Web, Haus der Statistik, Berlin, DE
2024, Against Violence, We, Outpost Gallery, Norwich, UK
2024, Identity, The Cut, Halesworth, UK
2024, No Direction Home, Loop, Euboea Island, GR
2024, Mycelium, La Nature Festival, Liege, BE
2024, WE, Menningarhus, Reykjavik, IS
2023, Fluida, Festival Non Una di Meno, Cuneo, IT
2023, Das kleine Wunder, Galerie. Pla.d, Düsseldorf, DE
2023, The Image of Night, Kunstarkaden, Munich, DE
2023, Rage Against Dying of Light, Theatre and Cinema Maffei, Turin, IT
Grants / Awards / Residencies / Competitions
2025, Initiative of Change (selected), Art Residency, Johannesburg, SA
2025, Snail Slow Culture (selected), Art Residency, Manitoulin Eco Park, Manitoulin Island, CA
2025, OSA (selected), Art Residency, Ottawa, CA
2024, Loop (selected), Art Residency, Euboea Island, GR
2024, The Cut (selected), Art Residency, Halesworth, UK
2024, La Nature Festival (selected), Art Residency, Liege, BE
2024, Web Decolonial Art (selected), Art Residency, Berlin, DE
2023, Werkstatt (winner), Scholarship and Art Residency, Plettenberg, DE
2021, Shamlu Award (finalist), Contemporary Literature Award, Tehran, IR
2019, Sapienza University Mobility Research (winner), Grant and Scholarship, Rome, IT
2017, Torno Subito Scholarship (winner), Scholarship, Rome, IT
2011, Premio di Laurea Ladziodisu (honorable and winner), Award, Rome, IT
Selected Book Publications
2026, Davis, N. The Future Present, Loophole Projects, Rhyl, UK
2025, Avani, P. Obaldi, Revolver, Coll., Rome, IT
2025, Avani, P. Aus Blick Gesten 2.0, Werkstatt Plettenberg Art Residency Catalog 2005–2025, Plettenberg, DE
2025, Liu, G. Peace Echo War Story, Peace Echo, Toronto, CA
2023, Chabak, M. Hermetic Poetry, Siahrud, Tehran, IR
2020, Avani, P. The Magic Scroll of Antalus, Afraz, Tehran, IR
2012, Avani, P. Remote Revolt, Gusheh, Tehran, IR
2010, Avani, P. Decomposed Rambling, Tapeshe Noe, Tehran, IR
Selected Press Publications
2025, Avani, P. Apartheid, BDK INFO 34, Zeitschrift des Fachverbandes für Kunstpädagogik in Bayern (Journal of the Professional Association for Art Education), Munich, Germany
2025, Chabak, M. Iranian Women’s Hermetic Poetry, Iranica
2025, AVANI, P. Ogin Talka, Utsanga, no. 42, Italy
2024, Pavan, B. Interview, fili e forme , Italy
2024, Avani, P. My Daughter Lamp, Carbone, no. 6765, November, Turin, IT
2024, Avani, P. Butler, Neveshta, no. 60, October, Tehran, IR
2024, Avani, P. The Path, Carbone, no. 4181, April, Turin, IT
2024, Avani, P. Alphabet of Freedom, Neutopia, no. XVII, March, Turin, IT
2023, Chlutter, B. Heroine’s Journey, Lokal Direkt, 19 October, Plettenberg, DE
2023, Opfermann, J. Mythische Reise, Plettenberg Samstag, 14 October, Plettenberg, DE
2023, Opfermann, J. Interview, Plettenberg Samstag, 5 August, Plettenberg, DE
2023, Damschen, H. Mut und Klarheit, Plettenberg Samstag, 27 June, Plettenberg, DE
2023, Avani, P. Viva Khoresht, Neutopia, no. XII, Spring, Turin, IT
2022, Avani, P. The Breath, Jenzar, no. 6, Tehran, IR
2021, Avani, P. Thus No Spring, Avangardha, no. 12, Tehran, IR
2021, Avani, P. The Absent, Dav, no. 2, Tehran, IR
2020, Avani, P. The Heart, Vazne Donya, no. 5, Tehran, IR
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Selected Collections
The Municipal City, Plettenberg, DE
The Municipal City, Livorno Ferraris, IT
Archeological Museum, Livorno Ferraris, IT
Mamre Psychoanthropology Fondation, Turin, IT
Initiatives of Change, New Futures Collavorative, Virginia, USA
The Ottawa School of Art, Ottawa, CA
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Private
Turin, IT
Rome, IT
Acqui Terme, IT
Barcelona, SP
Tehran, IR
Plettenberg, DE
Los Angeles, US
New York, US
Texas, US
Kansas City, US
Toronto, CA