Work Description:
Artist: Mahnaz Kh. Motazedi
Title: Becoming II
Length: 00:11:44
Year: 2019
Art gives birth and fertilizes and this procreation is such that it creates a sense of creativeness in the artist, it is as if he/she is the god of his/her works. This creation can sometimes be reflected in the sparkle of a drawing, sometimes in a video, in writing, a line, and even a song. It is the fascination of creation that excites the artist in the process of producing a work of art.
Creating is beautiful in itself, but this creation becomes more beautiful and fruitful if it is accompanied by enthusiasm even if the result is incomplete or not commendable. In fact, the value is that enthusiasm which is aroused in the process of creating a work moment by moment in the artist. This is how the process of producing or expressing an artwork or idea becomes more absorbent than the work itself or its result. Like other artists, I too have always sought to discover and evoke this passion in the moment of creation.
The ”BECOMING II” was formed from observation of my daily life and the idea of combining it with my desire to synchronize with the environment in my own artistic way. It was made from there ever since I decided to become an observer. Here I am just a sense of presence or beingness, just an observer!
In this work, I attempt to map out how the role of masks could be thought of not just representing cultural and iconic issues, but also how it may function as a vehicle of personal transition for the artist. This work is an examination of identity that depicts the meaning of disguise and transformation. Here, the mask becomes a metaphor for a personal transition.
“BECOMING II” is an experimental process of observing quotidian life to tell a true story about the self, a story of me, you, us!

Artist Biography:
Mahnaz Kh. Motazedi is a visual artist based in Firenze, Italy. She received her BFA and MA from the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence.
Initially, she was fascinated by the recognition of cultures and traditions of different nations.
In her opinion the fears and the beliefs that are imposed by society on each of us cover our souls with a heavy layer of dust, and self-knowledge is a way to remove it.
Accordingly, by taking an artistic approach, she focused on what commonalities and differences do these cultures have with each other in terms of ethnicity, religion, and spirituality.
Exploring the relation of the transcendence of the soul through nature and the material world, the study of human limiting frameworks such as religion, tradition, and custom and even beyond, the spatial and temporal properties and finally how to express unity in all these opposites, is another aim of her studies.
Her artistic medium has recently changed from painting to performance art and video installations. Experimenting with these new fields, the concept of body, has become one of the major subjects of her explorations and a touchstone by which she can put her ideology into the test.
Currently, she concentrates on spiritual corporal expressions through the concept of identity and transition.