Third Fridays at Zhou B Art Center

THE ZHOU B ART CENTER

The Zhou B Art Center was founded in 2004 by the internationally acclaimed Zhou Brothers. Located in Bridgeport, the Zhou B Art Center's mission is to promote and facilitate a cultural dialogue by organizing contemporary art exhibitions and programs of international scope. As a Center created by artists, for artists, the vision of the Center is to facilitate the exchange of contemporary art between Chicago and the international art community and promote the convergence of Eastern and Western art forms in the United States.

Ever since my move to Chicago, my vision has been to become one of the established artists in the city and being part of  Zhou B community has provided this very opportunity. The resident artists within different floors of the building have been welcoming and inspiring in many ways. This is a true meaning of having an art community where you have the support and guidelines to get closer to your vision.

Every 3rd Friday of the month, The Zhou B Art Center opens exhibitions with an evening reception from 7pm-10pm located at 1029 W 35th Avenue, Chicago IL. These events are free of charge and provide the community of Bridgeport and the Chicago area a unique opportunity to explore a blend of international and local art. The artists-in-residence at the Art Center open their studios to visitors, making this a unique opportunity for the community to meet working artists and discuss their work in person. The variety of the work produced by the artists-in-residence and the four in-house gallery spaces makes the Zhou B Art Center 3rd Friday Exhibitions one of the most diverse art experiences in the city.

As we are getting closer to warmer weather in this amazing city, mark your calendars and come visit us for the upcoming third Fridays. Photos are taken by the one and only Sergio Gomez from this past third Friday event at my studio space located at Zhou B Art Center. The word you see on the walls is "Love" in Farsi. I was born in the year of revolution in Tehran/Iran. Growing up I remember seeing lots of graffiti as political protest decorating the walls of Tehran. I'm a true believer of power in writing positivity and affirmations. By scribing "LOVE" over and over in this space, I hope for it to circulate more positive energy. I'm using the power of this world to showcase one of the most influential elements in our lives

 

What to expect during "Shortcut to the Silk Road" Exhibit

As we get closer to end of the year, everyone is busy with the last minute shopping, family gatherings etc. For me it is a different kind of preparation though; getting the final plans and sketches done for the "Shortcut to the Silk Road" exhibition in Saugatuck MI this January.  This Exhibition brings to life the most celebrated trade route in history, named for the treasured fabric that attracted traders from all over the world. The Silk Road stretched from the far reaches of China through the cities and empires of Central Asia and the Middle East. Extending 4,000 miles, the Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in Chinese silk carried out along its length. Trade goods were not the only things travelers carried with them; artistic methods and motifs, styles of music, religions, languages and literature, philosophies and political ideologies were all transported along with silks, spices and porcelains. Rather than the luxury items that might pass from one set of hands to another, more often it was these more intangible cultural products that left the most indelible impressions.

In the spirit of this exhibit, I have used some of the merchants which have been significant to the silk road in some of the new pieces which will be on view during "Shortcut To The Silk Road" exhibit; Tea and Saffron are some main mediums in some pieces. Stay tuned for some images to come as we get closer to the opening date. Join us on January 22nd 2016 at Saugatuck Center for the Arts from 5:30-7:30 pm located on 400 Culver Street, Saugatuck, MI.

Selected Artist - ShowPOD Chicago - September 2015

Pilsen is known as one of the most artistic neighborhoods in Chicago. Every 2nd Friday of the month, Pilsen artists open their studio doors to public to showcase their art. Most of the buildings in Pilsen are owned and managed by Podmajersky who have been doing an amazing job in terms of promoting the artists in their area. One of the events they manage is  showPODs which are a series of 7 exhibition spaces, compact, dynamic, unmanned, and designed to support concepts of art experimentation and installation. Conceptualized by John Podmajersky III, and created by the Chicago Arts District, showPODs create an instant art experience in the non-traditional space and format of a high exposure art installation operating around the clock. showPOD, by design, can be viewed by anyone at anytime during the life of its installation, allowing a rich public art experience that breaks down the traditional limits of a gallery space or museum.

I'm honored to be selected as one of the artists for ShowPOD in the month of September 2015. The aim of my installation is going to be a cultural exchange, to share a part of Iranian Culture which is colorful, poetic and mystic. I will be sharing more updates and images soon. At this stage I'm finalizing the sketches for all the windows.  This is an ambitious and challenging project yet very exciting and I can not be more grateful to be selected as one of the artists to show during 2015.

Below images are only few of the windows for the installations. Stay tuned for more images and for the progress on the project.