In this encaustic and mixed media work created for Underneath / Beneath / Below, I explore the layered nature of memory, identity, and suppressed history. Using the translucent, tactile qualities of encaustic paint, I build and excavate the surface, embedding fragments of material, mark-making, and symbolic textures that speak to what lies hidden beneath. The process of layering and scraping back becomes an act of unearthing—both physically and metaphorically—reflecting my experience as an Iranian American woman shaped by exile and silence. This piece reveals and conceals simultaneously, inviting viewers to engage with the complexity of what is buried emotionally, politically, and culturally, and to witness the quiet power of resurfacing what was once obscured.
- Afarin Rahmanifar