Lili Yas Tayefi
September 2023 - May 2024
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Brookfield Properties' first artist in residence, Lili Yas Tayefi, is an Iranian-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, architectural designer, and educator, specializing in digital fabrication with extensive experience in handcraft and a background in biodegradable material science.
Advocating for education and research, Lili is an instructor at the Alberta University of Art and Design and the University of Calgary, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. Her portfolio of work ranges from 3D-printed and handmade ceramic sculptures to painting, printmaking, and film-making. Lili honours "feel-first" and precision-led philosophies, unearthing how they intersect. Embedded with duality, her works invite an exploration of identity, social justice and the reclamation of culture.
ELEMENTAL ALCHEMYSculpture and Material Innovation Throughout the program, Lili was able to leverage her expertise in digital fabrication tools to build a large-scale sculpture for her residency. A testimony to the blending together of traditional and innovative approaches, her final work presents a 3D-modelled sculpture that pieces together ancient pigments and upcycled materials.
Elemental Alchemy by Lili Yas Tayefi reflects the ephemeral and ever-changing nature of the human experience. Crafted with innovative use of upcycled materials such as newsprint, and adorned with natural dyes, this digitally fabricated organic form speaks to advancement underpinned by fragility and the rebirth of life cycles. Rooted in narratives of familial ties, ancestry, and femininity, this sculpture contemplates impermanence, rebirth, and the cyclical nature of the lessons in human experience.
Lili joined our team to unveil her exhibition ‘Elemental Alchemy’ at Brookfield Place Calgary. The mixed-material sculpture is the result of her time spent as the inaugural artist in our 315 Artist Residency Program and will be going on a year-long touring exhibition at each of our Calgary properties. Starting at Brookfield Place from May to August, Elemental Alchemy is making its next stop at Fifth Avenue Place. Read more about Elemental Alchemy and its beautiful creation process at: |
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