Hiva Alizadeh
Textile sculptor
London, United Kingdom
A textile haze of cascading colour
- Hiva's creations are woven with synthetic hair
- His pieces continue to be deconstructed and reinterpreted long after he completes them
- He exhibits his work in public and private collections, from Amsterdam to Doha
Born in Kerman, Iran, a city rich in carpet weaving history, Hiva Alizadeh found his own direction in tapestry making: not by moving away from tradition, but deeper into what it could become. "I grew up in a culture where textiles were not simply objects, but living repositories of memory carried across generations," he says. Hiva's journey in his craft began when he first encountered Jiroft Gabbeh rugs and was captivated by their symbolic freedom. Initially self-taught, he spent years in close exchange with master weavers. Today, Hiva works with synthetic hair, building tapestries that appear fluid and weightless. Each series demands months of preparation: from selecting and dyeing colours to hours of slow, physical sewing. His work is showcased in international collections such as the Weisman Art Foundation, the AkzoNobel Art Foundation and the Kerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
The material is unmistakably of our time, it cannot be associated with another era. It also carries a long cultural history, as well as a responsibility. Through my practice, I support the planting of native trees in Iran each year as part of my commitment to carbon offsetting.
Every body of work begins with a colour palette. I go through stages of selecting, dyeing and preparing the hair before a single stitch is made. Colour, texture and length are never incidental, they are decided at the very start.
In my practice, no two days look the same. Some periods are devoted to drawing and research, and others to building wooden structures. I spend most of my time sewing. Long hours are dedicated to stitching, assembling and adjusting by hand. What appears effortless is constructed gesture by gesture.
From a distance, people see colour and form. Up close, they encounter an unexpected tenderness that photographs cannot convey. Even when touching is not possible, people describe an almost involuntary sensory response, as if the body understands before the mind.
Hiva Alizadeh
Textile sculptor
London, United Kingdom
ADDRESS
Address upon request, London, United Kingdom
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English, Persian
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