Biography
Assal Bakhshandeh is an independent artist whose practice is driven by ongoing exploration and transformation. Born in Iran in 1980, she now lives and works in Canada, where her artistic journey continues to unfold through new ideas, encounters, and creative challenges. Since 2010, she has pursued advanced studies in painting at the University of Toronto, a formative period that marked a significant shift in her practice. During this time, she refined her use of color as both a spatial and emotional language. Through layered compositions and subtle chromatic interplay, Assal creates works that evoke depth, movement, and atmospheric presence.
Artist Statement
My work begins in uncertainty. Painting is a physical and emotional act that pulls me out of routine and into a space where instinct takes over. I allow materials to guide the process, moving freely between acrylics, charcoal, oil pastels, and found tools, responding to the surface rather than imposing control. The work evolves through layers, pauses, and revisions until it reaches a moment of resonance.I am deeply interested in what resists perfection. Marks left behind, uneven edges, and unexpected shifts become essential rather than accidental. These elements expose vulnerability and reveal a truth that feels more human. What is unfinished or flawed often holds the greatest intensity, and it is within these moments that my paintings find their voice. My intention is not to explain, but to activate. I want the viewer to slow down, to question, and to engage emotionally rather than intellectually. Each piece offers a space for reflection—a place to confront inner tensions, embrace possibility, and move beyond familiar boundaries.
Selected Artworks
This series explores color as a living force, expressed through bold gestures and energetic, fluid brushwork.
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