Los Angeles-based artist Amir H Fallah designed a site-specific installation entitled Portals for the terrace level of the new Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Workforce Development and Aging Community Services (WDACS) headquarters in Koreatown. The installation includes three large-scale stained and fused glass pieces, each measuring six feet wide by eight feet tall. Central to the design are images of doorways that symbolize transformation, transition and growth. Fallah commented, “Doors are seen as barriers one must go through to reach a new environment. Walking through doorways can be a metaphor for setting goals and achieving them.” Each of the sculptures represents a portal and features the outline of a door at its center. The glass is solid but transparent - a metaphor for how one can see past challenges and move forward towards positive change. Each stained glass has a rich gradient background that transitions in color, keeping the piece in a constant state of movement as light is reflected onto the surrounding architecture. Portals perfectly combines the traditional stained-glass techniques with the contemporary application of fused glass. The works subtly divide the terrace, providing intimate spaces while allowing a full view of the surrounding architecture. Each stained-glass panel incorporates the design of an existing entryway that the artist identified in Koreatown, with references to Victorian, Korean and Mid-Century Modern styles. These three distinct visual languages speak to the rich and diverse creative influences that can be found within the community. Each panel also incorporates the plants and flowers that can be found in the landscaping around the building, contributing to a cohesive environment on the terrace.

Amir H. Fallah was born in Tehran, Iran in 1979. He received his BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2001 and his MFA from UCLA in 2005. Fallah’s practice encompasses painting, photography, sculpture, and installation combined with a visual vocabulary that includes collage and complex patterning. His work presents a critical observation of the systems of representation in Western art and intertwines deconstruction and appropriation reflecting on themes such as identity and personal narratives. To learn more visit: https://www.amirhfallah.com/