ARTIST STATEMENT
Primarily a textiles-based artist, Leili Khabiri’s practice focuses on the symbolism of process, how a work possesses an energy through the making rather than from the use of imagery. Her works are artefacts of this rather than works existing to depict a certain emotion or concept. She avoids loud use of colour, finding it to be too forceful, and is developing her practice to be focused on energy in these time-consuming processes, one that is powerful but quiet in nature. Hand woven tapestries possess the energy of the weaver. This is not just created through the touch/physicality of the hand, as artist feels she is weaving herself into the fabric. Whether that is a sentiment or energy, the act of weaving becomes the focus and is done in a manner that is symbolic and meditative.
Lying on the border between artistic form and necessity since the beginning of human existence, not only does textiles relate to all cultures today but also connects us back to ancestors 1000s of year before us. Khabiri’s method of hand weaving has not changed for millennia, there are no mechanisms or machines present, all actions are done by hand. Skimming Stars Like Pebbles: Hand Woven Lullaby; The name she has given to her tapestries collectively, for each the artist has written a story, tales of night, dreams, and skies. A Lullaby relates to these subjects, but the etymology meaning ‘soft goodbye’ harks to the softness of textiles, simultaneously the quiet character of these tapestries.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Leili Khabiri is a British-Iranian artist, currently residing in Cambridge/London UK.
Education:
BA Fine Art (2018 – 20): City and Guilds of London Art School
Propedeuse (2017 – 18): The Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam
Foundation Diploma (2015 – 16): The Art Academy, London
Group Exhibitions:
2022:
– VOA Finalist Awards Show, Unit 1 Gallery, London, UK
– StART x MMG Emerging Artist Prize, Saatchi Gallery, London UK
– The Other Art Fair, Presented by Saatchi Art, Dallas TX, USA
– Óculo do Viajante Arquivo de Luas, International Museum Day, Arte Graça, Lisbon, Portugal
– The Absurd (online Exhibition) The Chateau Gallery, Louisville KT, USA
– Winter Exhibition, D31 Gallery, Doncaster, UK
2021:
– Wrap, East Gippsland Art Gallery, Bairnsdale, Australia
– ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London, UK
– BA Graduation, OXO Tower Bargehouse Gallery, London, UK
2020 – Final, Not Over, Unit 1 Gallery, London, UK
2019 – Interim, Art Hill Gallery, London, UK
2018 – Contextualism, Plan B Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2016 – Diploma Graduation, The Art Academy, London, UK
Current/Upcoming:
EGAG WRAP East Gippsland Art Gallery Bairnsdale, Australia
Visions of Hope, Virtual Exhibition, Contemporary Art Collectors
March 2023: ArtExpo, New York, USA
Autumn 2023: Superfine Art Fair, Los Angeles, USA
Awards:
2023 – Finalist ArtExpo
2022 – Finalist VOA Emerging Artist Prize
2021 – Certificate of Merit, Luxembourg Art Prize
2021 – Finalist, ING Discerning Eye Prize
2021 – Winner of the Youth Prize, EGAG Wrap
Publications:
2022 – Circle Quarterly Magazine, Winter issue
2022 – Spotlight Magazine, October issue
2022 – Aesthetica Magazine, August/September issue
2021/22 – Aesthetica Magazine, December/January issue
© Leili Khabiri