In Good Company, 2024

Installation view, Artist in Residence Showcase 2023-2024

In Good Company, stands as a testament to the Textile Museum's community spirit and collaboration. Each fabric column was selected by visitors throughout Monzavi's residency, chosen for personal reasons— whether it was the pattern, colors, or the familial memories it evoked. Monzavi says of this piece: "It is so named because it is about the people who helped bring it to life." Monzavi goes on to say: "As a woman of colour, a former refugee, and a minority, I understand firsthand the importance of a place to call home, a community to belong to, and to even speak one's own name." Her name, (Azadeh), meaning free-spirited in Persian, is woven into her work, connecting the fabric ribbons and symbolizing a welcoming gesture to all who have fought for freedom. This motif, which first appeared in her work "Namesake" (2022), part of the Canada Council Art Bank, serves as both a signature and a unifying thread, inviting new immigrants to see a familiar script or language, and feel the welcoming embrace of their new home.