Deborah Colton Gallery will present "A Survey of Works by Soody Sharifi," an exhibition that includes several bodies of works and encompasses the entire gallery.

Sharifi is an Iranian American artist, based in Houston, whose work addresses the complexity of identity, namely the paradoxes and contradictions inherent in living between two cultures. Since 1999, she has explored what constitutes American, Iranian, and Muslim notions of modernity and tradition. She has focused particularly on youth culture and the role it plays in self-identity, especially within environments considered to be conservative or traditional.

For over two decades, Sharifi has documented and staged settings of students, punk rock groups and gay and lesbian couples in the United States and in Iran. Through a capacious use of photography as documents and collage as gestures, Sharifi has always offered a poetic, tender lens on harsh social realities. By staging herself, members of her family, or friends, her work tends to undo the images of Muslim stereotypes represented through the often-narrow focus of traditional media.

Sharifi’s Flag Series (2011, 2012) captured iconic moments of the post-9/11 moment in American allegiances. Her Maxiatures Series (2004-2012) and Persian Delights Series (2008-2016) bring a uniquely contemporary perspective to the millennial tradition of Persian miniatures. Her two new bodies of Women Life Freedom and Surreal Images cast a dreamlike look on recent events around the globe, from the 2022 protest movement in Iran to the increasing polarization of the United States.

The exhibition will remain on display through April 5.