b. 1978, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden
Ayan Farah works with found materials and earth pigments. Her work utilizes land as its medium and it is the predominant subject of her practice. The work combines aspects of abstract painting and land art with techniques found in both west and east African art and craft, using materials consisting of historical textiles predating the industrial revolution and industrially spun linen and hemp from domestic settings. These materials often traded between Europe and its colonies reflect her interest in colonial trade history and the traces it has left on the land and the population of these locations. She collects clay and mud on-site and grows plants and flowers for pigments both outdoors and under lights in her studio. Her interest is environmental, the industrialization of ancient crops, and man’s impact on the land. Her works that are painted and dyed with these pigments reflect on personal history, the geographical location of the source material, and the place of production. Socio-cultural concepts and geological properties as well as the aspect of mobility imbue the work with an ephemeral quality that manifests the passing of time.
