I first met Hedieh Ilchi in 2013. I had established myself as the art reporter at a media organization in Washington DC and effortlessly searched for intriguing local artists to write about and introduce to my audience. Preferably an Iranian subject, since the Target audience was a Farsi speaking one. But also someone who represents the American culture, since I worked for the Voice of America. And there she was: an resident at the Arlington Art Center and a walking example of the fusion of east and west. And so was her art.
Hedieh left her home country – my home country – Iran – when she was eighteen. As any first-generation immigrant would attest, one of the first obstacles one faces is language barriers. Hedieh told me that she uses visual art as a way to communicate with her surroundings. And the concept she conveys in her work would be relatable to any first-generation immigrant.
At the core of her art lies the element of conflict. One of the best elements in any form of art, or I may even generalize that fact to life. But the specific form of contrast that Hedieh executes in her work relates to a contrast of cultures.
“Immigration has had an impact on me in the sense that I have developed two identities; A western identity and an eastern one. I was interested to fuse Iranian traditional art with the western abstract expressionism. The end result is a special conflict – a contrast between the peaceful calm of Iranian art and the unruly energy of American abstract expressionism.”
To Hedieh, this is an exact visual representation of her experience as an immigrant.
I have kept in touch with Hedieh over the years, and visited her latest show in Washington, D.C. at the Hemphill Fine Arts gallery. A closer look at her new works shows a perfected style and mastery of the skills she utilizes to create these fantastically intense landscapes.
What has remained the same is the concept of envisioning borders of two cultures invading one another and coexisting and reminding us of “how sublime we feel in the world.”
Hedieh’s show at Hemphill Fine Arts gallery closed in the summer but if you are in the area you can catch some of her works as part of a the group exhibition, “SIGN SYSTEMS” at the Kohl Gallery, which will be on view until December 7, 2019.