My name is Alexander Amir Khan and I work as designer, artist, and researcher, primarily based in Switzerland, Mexico, and Brazil. I thrive in diverse and international environments, drawing from a background that blends craftsmanship, art, performance, and product design. Situated at the crossroads of visual arts, design, traditional crafts, and historical research, I approach my work with a holistic, decolonizing, and intersectional mindset, firmly rooted in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange. I believe that this approach provides the ideal framework for realizing new visions, ideas, and concepts.
Since 2022, I have been particularly focused on combining natural latex with textiles, organic fibers, natural colors, and other biomaterials in Mexico and Brazil. Additionally, since 2023, I have been actively pursuing research and teaching in collaboration with the IfTF - Institut für Textiles Forschen Basel. I am dedicated to sharing my knowledge through workshops, alongside my research efforts, aiming to empower others to engage within this fields. In the upcoming project this year in Mexico, I am further expanding my exploration of natural rubber and its integration into art and design contexts.
My objective is to leverage my creative skills to uncover new pathways, delve into materials, craft, and preserve ancient wisdom through transformative work in art, design and research.
Artist Statement
“At the intersection of aesthetic creativity, traditional craftsmanship, applied material development, and historical research, Khan operates. By combining organic and mineral pigments with liquid latex and utilizing these mixtures as the foundation for artistic work, along with textiles, natural fibers, or other biomaterials, Khan creates unique artworks, series, or performances. Khan's creations represent a synthesis of the aforementioned fields, blended with their journey as an individual in constant flux between countries, cultures, people, languages, and above all, emotions. The artifact of these internal and external processes manifests in various forms, serving as an intimate personal window into Khan's emotional world. The goal is to utilize artistic skills to discover new pathways and, through transformation and decontextualization of materials, to perceive things differently, evoke emotions, and break social-, gender-, and cultural related boundaries.”
Awards
2024 Material Development award, Mexico, Brazil and Switzerland (ProHelvetia Design)
