Behnaz Fatemi, Rhythm of Remembering, 2025.
Every absence is an ancestor: speak to it,
ignore it, feed it, turn it out of doors,
it will not matter— It knows where you live.
—Luisa A. Igloria
The very final hours in a hometown before displacement begins are marked by decisions—what to carry forward, what to leave behind. Some belongings are taken, but not only those that seem necessary for a place yet unseen. What is left behind, and what is carried forward, shapes what comes next. The last day at home grows in significance only once you have left. Time moves forward, yet memory lingers—fragile, shifting, incomplete.
Behnaz Fatemi explores remembrance, grief, and the weight of moments that can never be reclaimed. Her work engages with the traces left behind, the intangible yet persistent presence of lost moments, drawing from memory to anchor them in the gallery. Fatemi uses performance, drawing, sculpture and installation to invite us into this liminal place, of choice and its consequence, of leave-taking and loss. As one place is left behind and another entered, time remains suspended, and memory becomes the only means of holding onto these shifting spaces as they evolve in our absence.
This exhibition forms part of Below the 6, a series of exhibitions that focuses on artists based in Southwestern Ontario whose practices are socially and politically minded.
The 2024-2025 Below the 6 series is curated by Niku Koochak. The exhibition is generously supported by TD Bank Group.
Stitching Segmented Memories is an ongoing project that began during my MFA thesis exhibition at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG) in 2024. The work evolves with each performance, adding new names to the fabric. Through live embroidery on a handmade layered dress with a long train, I honor the names of loved ones and those who are missing, reflecting on themes of displacement and resilience.
Durational Performance at University of Waterloo Gallery
Photo Credit : Scottee Lee
Behnaz Fatemi is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist and PhD student in Visual Culture at Western University, Canada. Her research-driven practice engages durational performance, drawing, video, and installation, focusing on themes of diaspora, politics of care, trauma, and resistance.
Fatemi’s work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Iran, Canada, and the United States. Highlights include her residency as the Kitchener Artist in Residence (2020–21) and participation in the Art$Pay Artist Incubator program, supported by the Region of Waterloo.
She has received numerous honors, including the Emerging Artist Award from Arts Awards Waterloo Region and selection for the CAFKA biennial (2023). Fatemi’s practice has been supported by the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, the International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE) from the University of Waterloo, and grants from Pat the Dog Theatre Creation.
Niku Koochak is a contemporary artist holding an MFA /Visual Arts from the University of Windsor and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Tehran /Faculty of Fine Arts. Her artistic research centers on identity formation and the internal conflicts that arise when navigating different social environments. Through her work, she explores the tension between adapting to diverse societal norms and the contradictions faced as a global citizen. Niku’s practice spans abstract painting and performance art, where she employs unconventional tools like elastic bands and slingshots to create her artworks. She is currently the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex.
