Wild Tongues of Fire: Iranian Canadian Artists on Untranslatability

In an essay for esse, curator Parisa Alborzi explores the works of Iranian Canadian artists Pardiss Amerian and Azadeh Elmizadeh, drawing on Gloria Anzaldúa's concept of the "wild tongue" and Emily Apter's idea of the "Untranslatable." Based in Montréal, Amerian and Elmizadeh, located in Toronto, delve into themes of diasporic communication and the struggle between expression and restraint. Amerian's upcoming 2025 series, "Embrasure," features the Arch of Ctesiphon, portraying tongues as both shields and flames. Elmizadeh's "Timekeepers" includes pieces such as "A Hundred Tongues Lie Hidden in Silence," which references the Simurgh and Rostam, tackling issues of migration and mediation. Both artists employ distinctive material techniques to create surfaces where imagery can both emerge and fade, promoting a space for opaque and generative meanings.