6.5” x 4” x 4”
Stoneware clay, underglaze and wire
7” x 9” x 4”
Stoneware clay, glaze
10.5” x 5” x 3”
Stoneware clay, glaze, copper wire and beads
10” x 7” x 2.5”
Stoneware clay, underglaze
21” x 5” x 2”
Stoneware clay and copper rods
Unbound
When I began conceptualizing this series, I was reflecting on the things that hold us back, acting as a “lock” within each of us. Through our lives, we carry aspects of culture, history, principles, and memories, sometimes unconsciously, and they can act as locks on our lives. These locks don’t always need keys; if they no longer serve us, sometimes courage alone is enough to break them.
A lock often exists to protect or safeguard, but it can also constrain or isolate. Culture, society, and religion can place these locks on individuals, especially women, often limiting their voices.
In my research, I also discovered historical Iranian locks shaped like animals and symbols. They felt like metaphors, intricate and intentional, yet capable of holding something shut.
Each piece in the series tells a story about how these external forces try to shape us, and how we might resist or transform that influence.