• Shaheer Zazai’s exhibition at Latcham Art Centre showcases digital prints, video, Jacquard-woven tapestries, and a handwoven Afghan carpet
  • The concept of translation is central to Zazai’s practice, as he creates digital patterns in Microsoft Word, which are then transformed into prints, tapestries, and hand-knotted Afghan carpets.
  • A highlight of the exhibition, KGOBLWN1, consists of a digital print, a large Jacquard tapestry, and a handcrafted Afghan carpet woven by Afghan artisans interpreting Zazai’s design.
  • Exploring the intersections between technology and traditional craftsmanship, his work emphasizes how meaning evolves through translation across different mediums.
  • The exhibition will be on display at the Latcham Art Centre until Feb. 22, 2025.

 

Works from Afghan-Canadian artist Shaheer Zazai, including digital prints, video, Jacquard-woven tapestries, and a large handwoven Afghan carpet, are currently on display at Stouffville’s Latcham Art Centre gallery.

Zazai’s exhibition explores the interplay between digital and textile art, examining how design elements are translated across mediums while highlighting both the differences and connections between technological advancements and traditional craftsmanship.

It features a collection of work linking Zazai’s digital prints to Jacquard-woven tapestries, a weaving technology dating back to 1804 that served as a precursor to modern computing. By incorporating this historical technique, Zazai reflects on the balance between automation and the labour-intensive nature of handcrafted art.

The concept of translation is central to Zazai’s work. His process begins in Microsoft Word, where he meticulously creates digital patterns using RGB-based colour fields and text. These designs are then converted into prints, tapestries, and, in some cases, hand-knotted Afghan carpets.

“Technology often gives us shortcuts, and we live in a time when attention spans are short,” he is quoted as saying in the exhibition brochure. “Taking the labour-intensive route has a life lesson along with it, and I think that’s more important.”

Each transition to a new medium results in both loss and discovery, as some design elements fall away from prominence while others come into greater focus.

A key work in the exhibition, KGOBLWN1, combines a digital print, a large-scale Jacquard tapestry, and a handcrafted Afghan carpet. This piece is deeply tied to Zazai’s heritage, as the final carpet was created by Afghan artisans in his home country.

The weavers translated his designs through their own traditional methods and materials, sometimes making adjustments to colours and patterns, which Zazai views as potential signatures or personal interpretations. The resulting KGOBLWN1 carpet features floral motifs reminiscent of Afghan carpet designs, as well as four snakes weaving through a lattice pattern, symbolizing the tension between conflict and peace.

For Zazai, these collaborations serve as a means of maintaining a connection with his homeland. He describes the finished carpets as both a message sent to and received from Afghanistan.

KGOBLWN1 is a conversation between technologies and a meditation on the ability of Afghan culture to persist even in the face of a history that has been punctuated by conflict,” the brochure explains. “Each work acts as a message home in one language, and each carpet that returns…acts as a response in another language.”

Zazai’s work underscores how translation—whether between languages, mediums, technologies, or cultural traditions—shapes understanding and identity. He embraces the idea that something new and unexpected emerges in these shifts, prompting reflection on how meaning evolves across different contexts.

Through this process, his art invites viewers to consider the complexities of identity, heritage, and the intersections of technology and tradition.

The exhibition will be on display at the Latcham Art Centre until Feb. 22, 2025.