by Elnaz Mansouri

Aqua Room is part of an experimental series in creating videos with Cinema 4D. With each experiment, Elnaz designs a narrative space aiming to convey a different sensory reaction. The project began as an escape from the dark winters in Canada, where she creates an alternative reality to give herself a sense of peace while staying inside during the Covid-19 pandemic. Elnaz is inspired by the effects of ASMR and combines movement, light, and color in her work to evoke specific responses.

The world of Aqua Room is completely submerged underwater. Tiles in various shades of blue creep up the wall like a bathroom floor. The only movement is the flicker of light that follows the ripples in the water. In this scenario, Elnaz draws references to magical realism by blurring the boundary between dream and reality. A lounge chair and a lamp sit inside the walls, completely unaffected by the water that makes the space uninhabitable. Despite this unrealistic environment, Elnaz manages to encapsulate a sense of relaxation. Perhaps, for a moment, you too can exist underwater, surrounded by the gentle motion of waves.

Elnaz Mansouri (b. 1991; Tehran, Iran) is a visual artist practicing in the fields of 3D art and photography. She received a BFA in photography in 2013 from OCAD University in Toronto and she is currently pursuing a MA in fine art from the Iceland University of the Arts. Her work focuses on abstracting and re-imagining landscapes and environments while experimenting with concepts inspired by magical realism. Her most recent works, made in Cinema 4D, incorporate Visual Escapism through dream-like interiors that present a sense of calm to the viewer.

Curator: Amanda Poorvu

More of Elnaz’s work can be found on her Instagram here