Artist’s Statement: “Spandrel Spaces: The Art of In-Between”

In the architectural world, a spandrel is the byproduct of necessity and design—a space inadvertently created by the erection of arches and the demands of structure. In my latest collection of paintings, “Spandrel Spaces: The Art of In-Between,” I delve into these unintentional creations, residual realms that exist between intentions. My paintings explore overlooked beauty and latent potential hiding in our perceptions of space.

Each work tracks spaces that emerge incidentally, escaping the initial gaze. In embracing the spandrel, I dialogue with the margins and the interstitial zones not just in art, but in life itself— the in between– through which we often traverse without noticing.

This exhibition is an homage to the serendipitous, to the beauty that blossoms quietly in the shadow of grand designs. I invite the viewer to reconsider the artistic and existential significance of in-between pauses in conversation, quiet moments of solitude, overlooked crannies of urban landscapes. Inspired by the spirit of the rainforest where I reside, each piece comes from my daily experience of the textural richness of trees, bark, soil, and vines –the intertwined life forms and dense undergrowth that thrives in these spandrel-like niches of nature.

As an Iranian Zoroastrian born in Kenya, raised in London, having sailed the world ocean for three years, and now living in Puerto Rico, (a US citizen), my work reflects the complexities of cultural identity, of belonging and not-belonging. Each location I’ve lived in is a space of unexpected cultural interplay and rich, blended experience. Through these “Spandrel Spaces,” I capture what may first seem unintended, residual, or secondary, then explore the nuances hidden in the gaps of perception.

I invite you to pause, reflect, and discover electric mysteries that pulse silently in the spandrel.

3t Vakil, 2024