Abdollah Nafisi, British-Iranian (b. Tehran, lives and works in U.K) creates sculptures from fallen trees and rejected industrial steel, exploring the fluid boundaries of
identity and space. His practice emphasises the dialogue between works, where each piece engages with another to create and define the negative space in between, turning these relational and spatial dynamics into central elements of his work. Inspired by his experiences with nomadic tribes in Iran, he reimagines how movement and connection shape our sense of belonging. With a background in furniture making, Nafisi transitioned to sculpture, bringing a deep understanding of craft and materiality into his artistic practice. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, with exhibitions at Annely Juda Fine Art and Chisenhale Gallery in London.
Abdollah Nafisi’s Neighbours invites you to step into a space of paradox. Two horn-like arms reach in opposite directions: one draws in the density of material and memory; the other channels air, light and the fleeting. Beside them hangs a suspended yellow vessel: in balance, holding the tension between weight and release. The forms around you are made from salvaged steel and fallen trees, materials once functional, now refashioned into something contemplative.
This work explores the question of how we define ourselves through what we own, what we build or what we feel passing through us. It’s not a sculpture simply to look at, but one to enter. As you enter into the space between the horns, notice how the air moves, how sound shifts. The structure amplifies the subtle: wind, breath, the rustle of nearby leaves. Absence becomes presence. Stillness hums with energy.
Nafisi draws on a background in craft and nomadic traditions. His forms often meet in mid-air, defining not just their own mass, but the space between. In Neighbours, that in-between space becomes the site of meaning – a place where you might feel more vividly not only your surroundings, but yourself.