My Dear Dad Said, 2016

Afrang Nordlöf Malekian

Annika Gunnarsson: Can you feel the soft bristles of the brush caressing the skin? The way the damp pigments slowly dry out? And make the skin tight? So that it starts to itch. The initially enjoyable sensation of something soft and pleasant suddenly turns into discomfort.

The gentle flow of the voice is confusing. Surely, the meaning of what is being said cannot be so harsh when all we see and hear is a caress?

But the soft hand and the voice both tell the story of a father’s unreasonable expectations – of what his son should be and do in order to make the father happy.

The words “My Dear Dad Said” are followed by sentences that often threaten violence, but also reveal a vulnerability and a cry for help.

Every spoken word leaves visible traces on the body. The brushstrokes, the outlines of the son’s hand, are like silent blows to the unprotected body, which is almost completely black by the end of the story. It is impossible to resist the feeling of uneasiness. No matter how friendly the voice sounds.

“My Dear Dad Said” shows how contradictory a story can be from the outside, how senses like sight and hearing take in and process an experience. In Afrang Nordlöf Malekian’s work, the sensual drawing directly on the body, unfolds at the same time as the story that leaves an emotional mark on the soul, as black as the brushstrokes do on the skin.