Protect Me From What I Want

Azad Gallery presents Protect Me From What I Want, the first solo exhibition by Mohsen Mahmoodizade, running from 17 to 22 April 2015. Featuring 12 new paintings, the collection delves into the tension between human subjectivity and the natural world, translating inner turmoil into explosive visual landscapes.

Mahmoodizade (b. 1986, Karaj) transforms nature into a psychological battleground. His works juxtapose volcanic reds and oranges against foggy, cold environments—a stark "emotive translation" of the clash between internal emotions and external reality. Branches entangle in complex textures, and stillnesses fracture under dynamic compositions, mirroring the artist’s assertion:

"Identity takes shape through confrontation with ‘the other’... Fear proves my existence, yet its presence only materializes when I acknowledge it."

The exhibition’s title, borrowed from Jenny Holzer’s iconic text work, reflects Mahmoodizade’s focus on desire, vulnerability, and the paradox of seeking protection from one’s own impulses.

A graduate of Sooreh University’s Painting programme (2011), Mahmoodizade honed his practice during a transformative period at the university, where avant-garde faculty fostered experimental approaches. His group exhibitions (Aaran Gallery, Tirgan Festival Toronto) preceded this debut. Rooted in Karaj’s landscapes, his work interrogates nature not as passive scenery but as a force evoking primal anxiety.