Abbas Zahedi
Together with students from St Stephen’s Primary, Abbas Zahedi explored his studio space and shared some of his journey to becoming an artist.
About Abbas Zahedi
Abbas Zahedi is an artist who grew up in Shepherds Bush, West London. He works with sound, installation and performance art. Abbas maps spaces and captures feelings through his artwork. He invites us to think about the memories of places or buildings, and different things we feel when entering a space.
“I think it's really important to learn how to translate feelings into works of art, even if they’re ephemeral, fleeting moments.”
Abbas Zahedi
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Artwork
How To Make A How From A Why
Abbas Zahedi2020
Prompts
In the video the students ask lots of questions including 'When did you make your first art?' and 'What inspired you to be an artist?'
Can you think of any questions you'd like to ask Abbas? Or any places that you'd like to make artwork in?
How could you map your space with photos? Lots of spaces might seem at ordinary at first because we are used to spending time in them. Try taking a moment to look at familiar places, objects, and rooms – what thoughts or feelings come up? You might be surprised at what you find!
In the video, two students notice that a photo made them both feel the same way. What feelings could you share with each other? How can you make connections with what someone else sees?
Another way of mapping is using sound. Abbas has special equipment like a microphone to make strange, unusual noises, but you can use everyday objects to make a sound you’ve never heard before!
Try taking an everyday surface like a door, table, or window. Knock on it with different rhythms – what can you hear? Is the surface saying something to you? Repeat this activity on lots of different objects with new shapes and textures. How does the sound change?
How to use
Watch this video with your class to introduce them to a practicing contemporary artist and inspire them to make art of their own!
Throughout the video, you can find many exciting ways for your students to think about their spaces, and how their feelings can be heard through art. By working with the prompts given, your class can learn new methods of recording their surroundings through sound, feeling, touch, movement, and more. Abbas Zahedi captures emotional experiences by playing with media and space; how can you encourage your class to do the same?
