Sanam Khatibi's 'The Hunger' Explores Violence, Nature, and the Macabre

Sanam Khatibi's solo exhibition 'The Hunger' at Canvas Gallery presents her multifaceted practice spanning paintings, embroideries, tapestries, sculptures, and installations. Her work delves into human violence, primal instincts, and the macabre, juxtaposed with idyllic, lush nature. Khatibi explores power dynamics, domination, submission, and the tension between fear and attraction. Her canvases feature recurring motifs like small snakes, reflecting her fascination with what terrifies her. The artist's collection of objects—including Chinese and Japanese porcelains inherited from her mother—appears in her works, creating a mise en abyme of personal and familial memory. Her studio resembles a cabinet of curiosities with vases, West African phalluses, and vanities. Mysticism and spirituality permeate her practice; a series titled 'Amulets' depicts Chinese snuff boxes as protective offerings. Still lifes feature oversized poppies emerging from two-faced vases (part human, part skull), evoking life and death duality. Birds like ibises and snake-birds recall her training as a falconer. Japanese lacquerware influences her glossy finish, while Renaissance chiaroscuro appears in dark, moody tones. The show references Valentine Penrose's writings on Gilles de Rais and Erzsébet Báthory, aligning with Khatibi's exploration of cruelty and madness. The exhibition includes the 2025 oil on panel 'A View to a Kill' (9.2 x 17 cm), photographed by Nicolas Brasseur, courtesy of Mendes Wood DM.