The relationship between humans and animals transcends simple coexistence or a mere form of presence; it is devoid of human confrontations, allowing one to step away from the performative state of being anything other than oneself, facilitating a return to an unmediated presence.
In today’s world, where human relationships are often fraught with tension, conflicting desires, fear of judgment, and hidden agendas, the human—weary of imposed roles—sometimes seeks refuge in the animal. For in the circle of existence, the animal is the “Safe Other.”
These paintings narrate moments of this very presence; bodies are neither in dominance nor in submission. In these images, the animal is not a symbol, but a medium for returning to a more primal and authentic form of relationship. It is a way of being that is closer to silence, in response to a world where human has become distant from human.
Marjan Hatefi
