Opening reception: Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 5-8 PM.
SATOR Projects (Portland, Oregon) is excited to present Patterns Do Furnish a Life by Mohammed Murshed, curated by Ashley Gifford and Kyle Cohlmia.
The opening reception will be on Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 5 - 8 pm. This exhibit challenges the oppressive, particularly by reimagining conventional Yemeni ornamentation, leading to an embodied experience of hope, healing, and love. Murshed looks to question faith, precisely that of patriarchal systems created through religious ideologies.
The inspiration for this exhibit spurred from Murshed's reading of "Books Do Furnish a Life" by Richard Dawkins. The anthology, a compilation of writings by Dawkins and his colleagues, explores humanity through science writing and interrogating faith.
Murshed also challenges dogma created by patriarchal systems designed through religious ideologies. "Love gets abstracted by the Patriarchy. Yet, love also forms an awakening in the consciousness of people: an awakening that is dangerous to patriarchal existence," writes Murshed.
Murshed is a Yemeni American artist working with paint, textile, sculpture, video, sound, computer programming, and video games. His work in textiles and video, highlighted in this exhibit, incorporates contemporary designs with traditional patterns and symbols such as the Sitarah and Mugmug, a nod to the images found and garments worn by women in Yemeni culture.
"I want to highlight the traditional patterns of Yemen, such as the colors and patterns women wear on their scarves and garments," Murshed said.
Murshed's work also addresses the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder they inherited due to the war in Yemen and how they are processing it. "I want to find a solution to heal my trauma, shine a light, and bring awareness to the worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen. I am exploring the mental anguish I felt and how I'm trying to heal."
This exhibit challenges the oppressive Patriarchy by breaking ideological patterns and creating new interpretations that can lead to an embodied experience of hope and love.
Patterns Do Furnish a Life will be exhibited through Saturday, November 21, 2021. SATOR Projects is open Friday - Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm, located on 1607 SE 3rd Ave. Portland, OR 97214. For more information, please visit https://www.satorprojects.com. To contact, email hellosatorprojects@gmail.com.
About the artist
Mohammed Murshed is a Yemeni American visual artist currently based in Portland, Oregon. They work with paint, textile, sculpture, video, sound, computer programming, and video games. Through works across multiple mediums, Murshed's objective is to bring awareness to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and their personal experiences during adolescence in Yemen and as a Yemeni expatriate living in the United States.
Murshed holds a Bachelor of Art and Technology degree from the University of Oregon (UO), Eugene, Oregon, 2018; and a Master's in Fine Art in Visual Studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) in Portland, Oregon, 2020. Mohammad Murshed was a recent participant in the Portland Institute of Art Creative Exchange Lab (CXL) in 2021. They have exhibited at Congress Yard (Portland, OR); Pacific Northwest College of Art (Portland, OR); Eugene, Oregon, and other online venues. Murshed has been interviewed in the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) 2020 Focus Week Alumni Student Connection, Lust Caveat, Collaboration with Angelíca Milián Lozano; Journalistic Learning Initiative by Ryan Nakano; and in Using art to heal from War in Yemen by Unesco.
Artist Statement
I was born and raised in Sana'a, Yemen, right below Saudi Arabia. My childhood neighborhood was lively and full of family and friends. Unfortunately, many of them lost their lives early because of the civil wars in Yemen and the Youth Revolution in 2011, especially the devastating civil war since 2015. During the Arab Spring in 2012, I moved to the United States.
I use art as a tool for visualizing and healing. Creating work is a remedial attempt at processing my Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from the mental wounds that I inherited growing up during the war in Yemen. I often highlight Yemeni patterns and colors worn by women, scarves, hijab, birkah, and other garments to create conversations around the history of my home country. This attempts to disrupt and challenge traditional narratives, often steeped in oppression and Patriarchy. My work also touches on the microaggressions and racism I've personally experienced throughout my life. With this, I hope to create dialogues around the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and share my personal history.
About the curators
Ashley Gifford is a writer, and creative/tech professional based in Portland, Oregon, originally from Honolulu, Hawaii. Her artistic practice includes photography and curation. She has been the Founder, Creative Director, and Editor-in-Chief of Art & About - part art blog, publication, & resource - for art in Portland and the Pacific Northwest since 2014. She has worked with contemporary and nonprofit arts organizations, creative agencies, and technology-based companies for the past decade. She has an academic background in Art History, Studio Art, and Business from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Her writing has been published in the Portland Mercury, Oregon ArtsWatch, Art Practical, Ceramics Now, Journal FYI, and other publications.
Kyle Cohlmia is an arts professional, writer, and curator originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma, currently based in Portland, Oregon. Her academic background includes a Master's of Art in Critical Studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art; Master's of Art in Instruction and Curriculum at the University of Colorado, Boulder; and a Bachelor's of Art in Art History and Italian with a minor in English from the University of Kansas. She has worked at several art museums and galleries during her career, including the Denver Art Museum, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and most recently, as Curator of Exhibitions for the Melton Gallery at the University of Central Oklahoma. She is a previous fellow of Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s Art Writing and Curatorial Fellowship. She has written for various art publications, including Art Focus, Art 365, Art & About, and Art Discourse.
About Sator Projects
SATOR projects is a migrating exhibition series directed by Jess Nickel. The name is inspired by the sator/rotas square. While the meaning of this symbol has been interpreted in various ways, this project was inspired by the Latin meaning behind SATOR - sower, planter, and its reverse ROTAS - rotating, turning wheels. It is the mission of SATOR projects to seed arts into communities through exhibitions, public programs and events.
