Reviewing the Reflections of Memory

Visit the stars wish to rest here, By Leila Fatemi

Open Studio, Project Space, January 9, 2025 – March 8, 2025

Suspended in Open Studio’s Project Space, a space for contemplation has emerged, composed of hand carved linocut prints by Leila Fatemi. Titled the stars wish to rest here, this piece was made during Fatemi's time as a BIPOC Artist Residency Award recipient at Open Studio, with assistance from Danny Cardoso. The patterns within the linocut printed panels are inspired by the Islamic geometry Fatemi photographed during her first visit to the Alhambra in 2023. The Alhambra is a palace, fortress, and a monument of Islamic architecture, and its construction dates back to 1238. One of the oldest and most well-preserved palaces of Islamic architecture and tilework, the Alhambra has been a place of divine inspiration for writers, artists, and architects for centuries. The viewing experience of the stars wish to rest here was made in reflection of Fatemi’s memories of visiting the Alhambra and is a display of how Islamic geometry functions beyond decoration to shape environments that encourage contemplation and movement.

The prints of Fatemi’s work are installed hanging at an angle within the gallery space, to create a form of an airy structure, an experiential environment that prompts the viewers to engage with the work physically; arched through ways are cut out from each wall panel, and as visitors pass through them, the corners of the panels drift apart, showing how unfixed the structure is. The four walls and borders of the floating structure each display a unique pattern of Islamic geometry. The depth of the patterns and saturation of ink change depending on where they are viewed from, and some patterns glitch within layers of colour. By welcoming viewers to see the underside of the prints, this work invites consideration of the construction that went into the panels, from the first layer up to (within some patterns) the sixth. When inside of the piece, the seams between the prints are more visible and the first layer of the printed patterns are more prominent. 

When moving throughout the prints the viewer will begin to notice the rhythm of the patterns and will reflect on the repetition and commitment required to create the prints. The repetition inherent to printmaking techniques align with the principles of Islamic geometry, and in this way viewers are inspired to a point of meditation and contemplation just as much as creating the prints inspired inner stillness and reflection for Fatemi. A key intention in making this work was to engage in a process to guide the physical outcome, as Fatemi shares, “allowing the act of carving linocut served as a meditative practice in alignment with the principles of Islamic geometry. The repetition in the carving and printing process reflects the cyclical and infinite nature of these geometric forms. 

These ‘glitches’ became the sections of the installation that were the closest to her memories of the Alhambra, in the way that sunlight and time would distort the patterns. The colours used in the prints are also closer to Fatemi’s memories of the environment around the Alhambra, washed plaster walls, glimpses of sky, and surrounding land, than the exact jewel tones in the tilework. 

On how her time in residence at Open Studio expanded her practice in unexpected ways, Fatemi shared, “My residency at Open Studio expanded my practice in ways I didn’t anticipate, particularly in how I approach process and control. Coming from a photography background, I was able to approach printmaking without the limitations or expectations of traditional techniques. I embraced the unpredictability of the medium, learning to lean into the process rather than trying to control every outcome.

“I explored multiple printmaking methods, including linocut, photopolymer gravure, photolithography, and screen printing. I quickly realized how many intersections exist between printmaking and photography. My practice has become increasingly process-driven, and printmaking has given me new tools to push my photographic work beyond traditional darkroom or digital prints. It’s expanded my understanding of how images can exist in different forms, and I’m excited to continue exploring these intersections in future projects.”

When looking to the future of her practice and other materials and craft techniques she is interested in utilizing, Fatemi says that we can look forward to her exploring paper-making, origami, and sculptural interventions inspired by Islamic architectural features. “I'm particularly interested in how Islamic geometry can be translated into tactile, three-dimensional forms that extend beyond the surface of a print or image.

"These explorations are an extension of my ongoing inquiry into how Islamic art can exist beyond conventional formats and be engaged with in more dynamic ways.” We look forward to how Leila Fatemi will continue to be guided by and affirm the position of Islamic art in the contemporary canon of art and spiritual practice. 

Visit the stars wish to rest here, By Leila Fatemi

Open Studio, Project Space, January 9, 2025 – March 8, 2025