ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

In these paintings I have sought the inspiration of water, soil, and the colors of nature to explore the roles and experiences of women from mythological times to the present. The ancient statuette of ancient goddess, known as ‘Venus’, is an archetypical representation of woman's life-giving role; her Iranian analogue is Anahita, goddess of the waters and rivers in Persian’s myth, also seen as a source of life. In the myths of many ancient cultures, the dynamic power and creativity of nature was perceived as feminine. Happily, around the world today the beauty of the feminine divine is being rediscovered and revalorized. These paintings represent my own feelings and impressions of this marvelous energy which surrounds us.

I offer this exhibition as a tribute to my dear friend, Dr. Richard Foltz. I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to my brother, Bardia Saadi-nejad, and to my son Parsia Shahdi, for their support and patience.

Exhibition Dates:
September 11 - 20, 2008

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Manya Saadi-nejad is an artist and scholar from Tehran, Iran. She has been living in Montreal since 2004, where she is Research Associate at Concordia University. She holds an M.A. in Ancient Iranian Languages and Culture and studied for two years in the doctoral program at the Sorbonne in Paris. She taught painting for many years and has had numerous exhibitions of her work. Her interests include comparative mythology, Persian miniature painting, and contemporary art. 
Ms. Saadi-nejad studied painting under Aydin Aghdashloo, then taught in her own atelier in Tehran for fifteen years before going to live abroad, first to Paris in 2000 then to Montréal in 2004. Her work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, and she has been formally accredited as an Iranian artist by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran.

In addition to her work as an artist, Ms. Saadi-nejad is a scholar of ancient Iranian languages and mythology. She has published a number of scholarly articles and is preparing a book on representations of deities in ancient Iranian texts.

FOR MORE INFO
go to the artist's website at
www.manya.ca