the stars wish to rest here

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, January 9, 5-7 pm at Open Studio.

the stars wish to rest here is a contemplative installation reflecting Leila Fatemi’s exploration of Islamic geometry as a framework for engaging with spirituality, interconnectedness, and cultural memory. Inspired by her first visit to the Alhambra, an iconic monument of Islamic architecture, Fatemi reimagines its intricate geometric patterns through hand-carved linocut prints.

Made during her time as a BIPOC Artist Residency Award recipient at Open Studio, the works were created over fourteen months of learning various printmaking processes. Fatemi finds meditative potential in the repetition inherent to printmaking techniques, aligning with the principles of Islamic geometry, where infinite cycles and balanced patterns inspire reflection and invite inner stillness.

Through this work, Fatemi continues to unpack how Islamic art can cultivate connections that transcend physical and cultural boundaries. By engaging with these timeless forms in a contemporary context, she challenges the historical marginalization of Islamic art and affirms its place as both a vessel for spiritual practice and an integral part of the broader art historical narrative.

—

Leila Fatemi (b. 1991, Milan) is a contemporary visual artist currently based in Tkaronto/Toronto. Through a combination of material and textual research, her practice unfolds across mediums including photography, collage, archive, textile, pattern and printmaking. Bridging themes of postcolonialism, gender, and spirituality, Fatemi’s work challenges viewers to consider their role in relation to the representational accuracy and cultural consequences of Orientalized subjects. Her work offers alternative perspectives surrounding the colonial gaze, ethnic representation, and collective numinous experiences by employing methods of subversion and reclamation as tools to resist imperialist legacies. Fatemi received a BFA in Image Arts: Photography Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University. Her work has been exhibited in Canada and internationally and has been featured in online and print media.