BCA Studio Resident

Exhibition Series Curator

 

Artist Statement of Artemis Akchoti Shahbazi:

“The themes I engage with revolve around identity, history and mythology, materiality, and transcendence. The practice is rooted in direct observation and experiential engagement, prioritizing lived experience over theory-driven approaches. Through partnerships and curatorial projects, I aim to bridge disciplines and perspectives, fostering meaningful dialogue and connections across diverse contexts.

From the beginning of my artistic journey, I have been motivated by a deep need to understand history and culture in a direct, personal way—unfiltered by others’ theories or conclusions. Visual arts became the medium for exploration, and I approached this pursuit with an ethos of surrender: embracing mistakes and working with tools or techniques in which I lacked fluency. This process of letting go allowed unexpected discoveries and imperfections to become integral to my work, turning accidents into moments of insight and growth. My work often incorporates form and material in deliberately limited ways, challenging me to familiarize myself with the physical traces left by nature and humanity on these materials. By working with constraints—such as creating ‘WoodenBooks’ or fitting into established molds such as ‘A Dynasty in Perspective’—I sought to examine power dynamics: the capacity to alter a material, and the broader question of what it means to conform to structures imposed by others.

Over time, the practice evolved into an active engagement with breaking convention and transcending established forms. This shift crystallized in works such as ‘The Matrix of Human Identity’ and ‘Other Kings… Other Stories…’ and extended into projects like ‘Ways of Seeing Iran and the Arab World’, but also ‘Notes on Paradise: Perspectives on Peace’ or ‘Aristotle is the Greatest Enemy of Humankind’ and ‘Sanctionwear’ which sought to reimagine perspectives on identity, history, mythology and culture. Through collaborations and curation—including ‘Identities in Movement’ with Daniela Veneri, ‘Grounds’ by Raafat Majzoub, and the Impermanence Platform with multiple artists—I’ve explored the interplay of individual and collective expression. Curating and collaborating have become forms of transcendence, allowing me to step outside myself and see through the eyes of others.

This ongoing dialogue with artists such as Raafat Majzoub, Amir Soltani, Kourosh ValaNejad, Cyrus Samii, Matt Saba, and Daniela Veneri has been transformative. Their presentations, philosophies and the authenticity of their expression have challenged my assumptions and enriched my understanding. The discipline, whether through my own practice or in facilitating the voices of others, has always been to uncover new ways of seeing, to honor the intersections of diverse identities, and to reimagine what it means to exist within and beyond historical and cultural frameworks.

It is a continual process of observing, learning, and transcending. My work is about alchemy —between material and maker, between East and West, elite and commons, history and mythology, and between the self and others.

My visual art works have been exhibited internationally, specifically in the USA, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Iran, including at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. ‘Aristotle is the Greatest Enemy of Humankind’ was performed at Arrow Street Art and Puppet Showplace. In regards my curatorial work, Raafat Majzoub: Grounds was shown at the Mills Gallery at Boston Center for the Arts, Identities in Movement curated with Daniela Veneri was published for Rondo’ Pilot, and Ways of seeing Iran and the Arab world, taught at Boston College. The Impermanence Platform, an art and research platform which, through interviews, exhibitions, and projects, seeks insights into the artist’s process of creation has its platform for interviews on Youtube. 

Artemis is an artist in resident at Boston Center for the Arts until 2025.