SHARARAH RAYEN AHMED

(she/her)

Shararah Rayen Ahmed’s art is driven by her interest in feelings of self, embodied experience, and political and social activism. Her body of work strives to introduce and raise awareness on unfamiliar and controversial topics, mainly of the East to the Western world. Her practice consists primarily of painting, mixed media, and installation art. Shararah is a Bangladeshi-Canadian artist based in Toronto. An English specialist, she is presently completing a double minor in Studio and Women’s and Gender Studies. She celebrates her final year at the University of Toronto by unveiling her latest pieces at the virtual art exhibit, solidARiTy.

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#LoveIsNotTourism

2020
Installation, audio QR code
Dimensions variable, 00:00:17
As a result of the rapid COVID-19 spread, on March 20, 2020, the Canada-US border closure was announced. Families and binational couples are still separated for an unknown duration as their reunification is labeled as non-essential, tourism, and recreational. #LoveIsNotTourism rejects the federal government's current idea of utopia and explores the artist’s personal narrative of separation from her loved one. The piece not only explores the artist’s mental and physical state but her expectations from the federal government and frustrated desires for reunification. Rejected and ignored, she wills for these desires and expectations to cross over the FedEx office, which acts as a metaphor for the border and reach success.

Dream Theatre

2020
Acrylic on canvas

Dream Theatre: Tossed Prey to the Merciful Tiger, 2020 Acrylic on canvas

Dream Theatre: My Snake-Tongued Nephew, 2020 Acrylic on canvas

Dream Theatre: Deer-Back Riding, 2020 Acrylic on canvas