Artist Statement

Laid off from work,

Locked down at home,

Nowhere to go,

No one to meet,

Just me, my studio, and everything inside it…

This was exactly when my gazing series started!

I began realizing what objects I was surrounded with,

And got fascinated with their shape, style, color and function.

Even a single spot on the wall started to look significant to me!

So, my relationship with my surroundings started;

And every single day I discovered something new around me,

And I realized what an important role it could have in my life…

That was why I never felt lonely in Quarantine…

The more I kept gazing at my surroundings, the more I felt they are gazing back at me!

 

 

This video includes twenty frames showing my relationship with everything I was surrounded with in my studio during Quarantine. Each frame includes two pictures. One represents the object that I was gazing at and how I was seeing it; and in return, the other one shows how I was gazed at, by it. This project is to tell everyone around the world not to lose hope. It shows how important every one of us is because even in times of crisis, we are still being observed and there is always something to whom we are important and it is paying attention to us. So, even if we cannot connect with people and things outside, we can always make a close relationship with the things around us and stay hopeful.

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Elsa Hashemi

The Pandemic Days - 2021