During her residency at Edinburgh Printmakers, Iranian-British artist Zory Shahrokhi developed a number of etching works, working closely with Florence Eckersley. The central motif in these works are everyday birds, crows and ravens, which we see flying away as they leave a faint silhouette of themselves traced on someone's scarf, returning to pick through the rubble, or collapsing exhausted in great numbers as if to form a pile of autumn foliage. These birds recall one of Zory's earliest works, made in response to the 2003 Iraq invasion, an enduring conflict whose violence and devastation are echoed in many of today's wars around the world.
As part of the residency, Zory participated in a community workshop facilitated by Paria Goodarzi and Francisco Llinás, and spoke about her work to a group of young people visiting from Impact Arts.
In her last week of residency, Zory did a presentation of work-in-progress in the Studio, inviting initial responses to these intricate works. Zory has also made new connections with artists in Edinburgh which will bring her back to the city soon.
Residency dates: 3rd - 27th May 2022
Zory Shahrokhi is a British-Iranian visual artist based in Greater London. She was born in Tehran and grew up in brutal poverty within a country that harbours a massive class divide and gender inequality. Her initial art training was with renowned teacher Ebrahim Jafari, who was a poet, artist and lecturer. Zory's early work reflects her personal experiences and emotions through the abstract expression of the belaboured female body. Her practice developed through a concern for exploring cultural and political agendas, employing performance in relation to installation, photography and drawing. Through experimental work and symbolic expression, she investigates issues and perception around freedom related to displacement, exploitation, and gender oppression.
