Elkton Station Gallery hosts international artist
Published on March 29, 2024
ELKTON, MD: The extended daylight of springtime will shine a light on the skillful works of international artist Sahar Tarighi in the Elkton Station Gallery this April. Her exhibition, entitled “Your Lines Set Me on Fire,” delivers an essence of contradiction and a sense of duality between the contemporary world and the lived experience of three decades in Kurdistan in the Middle East.
Tarighi’s art uniquely blends internal and external tension, reflecting the conflicts within. This dynamic collection, spanning ceramics, sculpture, video, and installation, bridges the rich traditions of Kurdish heritage and the contemporary art world, making it a must-see for art enthusiasts and those interested in cultural heritage.
Born in the Kurdistan region of the Middle East, Tarighi embraced her culture’s vibrant dance, music, and crafts. Her family’s interest in the arts allowed her to grow her passion for the arts, leading her to pursue advanced academic degrees in the fine arts from a university in Iran.
“Stress and tension from genocide, war, displacement, racism, and social problems are the mainstays of my art,” said Tarighi. “Coming from a background in traditional Kurdish craft and culture, I am now working at the intersection of ceramics, sculpture, installation, and performance. I utilize clay, textiles, and yarn, which are all indispensable parts of Kurdish art, to find connections between the traditions of my heritage and contemporary art and to visualize my concerns.”
As a multidisciplinary artist, her work has been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the United Kingdom, South Korea, Iran, Turkey, Russia, and the United States. Currently, Tarighi is a ceramics instructor and a Master of Fine Arts candidate majoring in Ceramics at the University of Delaware.
She has received several grants, including the Competitive Counteroffer Award and the Center for Material Culture Studies Graduate Research Grant Award (CMCS) from the University of Delaware. Tarighi was also awarded the TCN Fellowship to the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and the New Wave Scholarship from A-B Projects, a space for exhibitions, critical dialogue, and material experimentation that expand and redefine the field of ceramics.
Recently, Tarighi was granted a scholarship to participate in a summer 2023 workshop at the Penland School of Craft and a full residency scholarship award from Watershed.
The “Your Lines Set Me on Fire” exhibition, a testament to Sahar Tarighi’s artistic prowess, will be on display in the Elkton Station Gallery until April 24. A reception is scheduled for Friday, April 5, from 5-8 p.m. The Elkton Station Gallery is open throughout the week, from Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., providing ample opportunities for everyone to visit and appreciate Tarighi’s work.