Statement

Abolfazl Masoumi, also known as Abby Masoumi, born in 1983, is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses various materials and techniques, including beadwork, embroidery, textiles, repurposed objects, drawing, and painting. Born and raised in the city of Qom, one of Iran's most influential religious pilgrimage sites, in a traditional radical Islamic family. Abby was born with congenital hearing loss, and he uses hearing aids since elementary school. He learned embroidery and beadwork from her sister, from childhood organically utilized art as an emotional and physical healing tool. Art forces him to forge a connection between the mind and body. In the meantime, Abby discovered his true identity as part of the LGBTQ community. To live freely as a queer artist, he had to abandon his religious hometown and family thus migrated toward Tehran to obtain his dreams and the MFA. He examines identity, gender, sexual orientation, anti-homosexual culture, and taboos and reflections of oppressive power structures in his artistic practice. Following the restrictions in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Abby has to censor his works; therefore, he uses material that has personal relevance to somehow encoded his true self. From pastry boxes and papers to sequins, he makes the mediums also meaningful.

Abby Masoumi has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Iran, Netherland, Switzerland, America, and Canada.

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