Soft Souls: New Sculpture by Hoda Zarbaf

“Soft Souls” is the latest series of sculptures by the Iranian-Canadian artist Hoda Zarbaf. Completed in 2014, the work features upcycled textiles and found objects. Bright and folksy, the use of secondhand clothing and toys makes for a textured and imaginative way of looking at items that viewers may associate with childhood. How Zarbaf shapes these materials, however, is decidedly adult. The forms are large, erotic, and ominous. Named to make anyone squirm, the pieces “Vaginal Rupture” and “Perpetual Discharge of the Heart” also incorporate conventional furniture, solid elements which balance the overflow of fabric. These two sculptures in particular are evocative of feminine tropes and bodily dysfunction in that the artwork gives the appearance of being soft, controlled and yet liquid.