Aphantasia

I am an Iranian artist based in London. My practice is experimental, and working across different mediums allows me to approach each piece with a sense of play.

While listening to BBC Radio 4, I discovered by chance that the absence of visual memory I had always lived with has a name: aphantasia. This discovery became the starting point of this project, which explores the lack of mental imagery in my mind and its relationship to memory. I came to realise that, far from limiting my creativity, this condition nourishes it. I begin each project without a fixed plan, letting my subconscious guide me into the unknown.

The photographs I have chosen carry a deep emotional attachment to my memories. By adding new layers by hand onto the surface of the prints, I try to connect my mind with what I remember. The short video brings together layered photographs, drawings and my own voice, reflecting how my brain recalls the past without the help of the mind’s eye.