Light Paint

Light is an immaterial material. Though we cannot see light itself, it enables the perception of visual phenomena and colour relativity. Light and colour exist in the mere physiological experience of sight. Yet, they have ingrained themselves within the human psyche and have deep linguistic and cultural ties to our perception of the world. ‘Light Paint’ explores light as a material by utilizing its properties pertaining to brightness, colour, and diffusion.
‘Light Paint’ is a time-based, interactive installation that materializes light and colour to investigate their relationship with human perception. By drawing on affect theory, ‘Light Paint’ examines humans’ embodied relationship to light. It creates an immersive ecosystem where participants engage with light, colour, and each other over the course of a pre-determined duration. The work employs Research-Creation and Iterative prototyping methodologies to synthesize an affective environment where viewers become active participants in an evolving perceptual experience.

‘Light Paint’ offers a place of solace. It engages the senses through site-specificity, time-sensitivity, and materiality. The installation unfolds across three acts, each effecting the participant’s colour, spatial, and durational perception.

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Assal Toudehfallah is an Iranian gaffer and colourist based in Toronto. Sitting at the intersection of technical craft and storytelling, their work examines lighting and colour as narrative tools across film, installation, and interactive media. Assal uses lighting and colour deliberately to explore how technical decisions shape perception and meaning. Fascinated by how deeply light is embedded in the human psyche, Assal’s research investigates the cultural and linguistic relativity of light and colour.