Winning at TOAF 2024: What the Honourable Mention Meant to Me

Last July, I stood in Nathan Phillips Square under one of those iconic white tents at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair — and something unexpected happened.

After three days of conversations with collectors, curators, and art lovers who stopped to look at my Locations Isolationseries, I received the Honourable Mention in Photography & Digital Media, supported by Toronto Image Works.

I still remember how I felt when I heard. Not just pride — something quieter. A feeling that this work, this particular body of work, had been seen.

What is the Locations Isolation series?

It started the way most of my projects start: with a building that wouldn't leave my mind.

I became fascinated by old, historical places — the kind that carry stories in their walls. I began visiting these sites across Toronto and photographing them obsessively. Then I started researching their histories. What happened here? Who lived here? What was preserved, and what was erased?

Each piece in the series is built from those photographs — digitally transferred onto canvas, then layered with acrylic paint. The result is something between a document and a dream. A photograph that has been re-imagined, re-touched, brought back to life.

Curator and artist Michèle Pearson Clarke described the series beautifully at TOAF:

"In Raissi's photos, institutional narratives and domestic intimacies sit side by side, enhanced by her use of colour and texture. In this way her work invites us to consider what is worthy of preservation and display."

That quote stopped me. Because that's exactly what I was trying to ask.

Why I keep making this work

I'm an immigrant. I moved to Toronto from Tehran, and I carry with me a deep awareness of what gets preserved in a society — and what gets forgotten.

Every historical building holds that tension. And as I photograph them, layer paint over them, and hold them up for people to look at, I'm asking: Do you see what I see? Do you feel what these walls feel?

900+ people have collected my artwork over the years. But this award felt different. Not because of the recognition itself — but because it came from a community I deeply respect, for work that matters deeply to me.

What's next

I'm now working on a new collection called Uncertain Positions — focused on women in society. I can't wait to share more soon.

If you'd like to see the full Locations Isolation collection, [visit my portfolio here →]

And if you have any questions about the series, or about commissioning a piece, feel free to [reach out →].

Thank you, Toronto. Thank you, TOAF.

— Mona

Dispersion

Did you ever feel dispersion in your life?? for example in your professional working process…or in your personal life… did you ever feel that you can’t focus on permanent title??

for me… it happens all the time..as I told you before I educated in Industrial Design. this filed needs to know many things and learning about different subjects in art. I think the source of this dispersion in my life is Industrial design. is it funny? maybe but it is… when I start a painting with a concept, my mind goes to the next Photography project…or designing a chair…or interior design…even sometimes I can’t finish what I just started just because of this kind of dispersion in my mind…

if you are an Artist, please share your ideas about this note with me…at least , I will understand that I’m not alone in this way :)

a routine day of an Artist #2

some days ago I was watching a biography concerning Bahman Mohasses. he was a real famous Persian Painter & sculptor. while I was watching that, suddenly everything changed in my sight…everything concerning my life, my behavior, socializing and my lifestyle…in those moments, I felt something is so clear in my mind. there was some common roots between artists lives…all of them, famous or unknown ones…good or bad...talented or not…there is some invisible strings between Artist from the past till now…something odd..it seems even Isolationism came from something from the past…I don’t know but there is some facts that we have to discover every day for sure…

#artistslife #artistsbiography #nostalgicfacts

چند وقت پیش جلوی تلویزیون نشسته بودم و مستندی در مورد زندگی بهمن محصص را نگاه میکردم. یکهو انگار شکل همه چیز جلوی چشمم تغییر کرد. بایدها و نبایدهای خودم توی زندگی شخصی، دایره دوستان محدودم، اخلاق گندم موقع معاشرت با آدمهایی که فازشان با من جور نیست... دقیقا از همان روز شروع کردم به جستجو و نگاه کردن به مستندهای زندگی هنرمندان مختلف... از لیلی متین دفتری و منیر فرمانفرماییان گرفته تا اندی وارهول و رنه مارگریت و مادلیانی و غیره. زندکی گاها چند شاخه با تجربه ها و رویکردهای مختلف چه در شیوه کاری و چه در شکل زندگی!! بعد خودم را جای تک تک این آدمها گذاشتم با همه محدودیتها یا حمایتها از شروع تا شهرت...حس کردم شاید از نوجوانی تا امروز بصورت ناخودآگاه شبیه به همین آدمها زندگی کرده ام با همه شکها، امیدها، چهارچوبها یا بداخلاقی ها..و بعد فکر کردم؛ زندگی تمام آنها که به هنر کشش و وابستگی دارند به نوعی به تمام این زندگیهای تاریخی گره خورده...گاهی میبینیم با تعداد زیادی از این آدمها، چیز مشترکی را دوست داریم یا از آن بیزاریم و بعد میبینیم این ریشه ها چقدر آشنا هستند و گاهی ترسناک! مثل ارواحی که برای کامل شدن بارها و بارها در کالبدی جدید متولد میشوند... این بار تنبل تر یا منزوی تر یا شاید فعالتر و اجتماعی تر با نمایشگاههایی در سراسر جهان! ینظرم زندگی هنرمند در هر سطحی، پژواکی ست از شیوه هنرمندان گذشته ای که روزی ستایششان کرده... حقیقت ترسناکی ست

Art business challenges

Today I was just thinking that how many businesses are like art ones?? we often experience different feelings, day by day and it’s because of many factors around us… some days we get some good vibes & feedbacks concerning our artworks and some days we just have to deal with some negative vibes and some people who denys your experience and they just try to force you to do what you are not agree with…. I don’t know… maybe these things happen to everyones beyond their jobs but for me these days are not the best ones during my job life…I keep trying anyway because this is the only key to open all doors… I wish luck for everyones

Old Days

I remember that I created this painting almost 6 years ago. In that time, I often tried to read more about artists biography and also I took some courses concerning painting & sketching. now I can say if I compare those years with now, I had more artistic achievements than now. searching, reading and sharing on Instagram takes too much time form me…most of pages that I follow are about art, galleries and artists…but I think it can’t be helpful if I can’t find enough time for creation! so I have to say, I really wanna change a part of my lifestyle now and start to turn off my mobile phone sometimes for focusing more on my art projects and reading more books again :)

what do you think? do you think Instagram is always helpful for artist? please share your ideas with me…

wish you the best,

a routine day of an Artist

I don’t know how it’s for you but for me, the evening is the best time for creation…creating a collage, a painting or illustration…but about Photography everything is different! if in the morning, Shervin & I start a photography project, all is good but if we schedule for the evening, suddenly everything will be blocked in my mind!! I don’t know why… :))

please share your experiences concerning timing with me… I would love to know more about it from other ones :) thank you