The sound of silence - Solo Exhibition - May 2018

Installation for The Sound Of Silence Exhibition - Currently on view at 33 Contemporary Gallery Chicgao

We live in a busy and loud world where we are online all the time and seems to not be able to have quite time or communicate in the right way. I wanted to create an exhibition and invite the viewers to slow their day down, enjoy the pieces in silence and connect with them directly, try to figure out the story they wish to tell. My aim has always been to create pieces which are not only visually interesting (hopefully!) but also starts a dialogue. That is when we can start to find that common ground, no matter where we come from, what religion we follow or what color of skin we have. 

I was honored when Sergio Gomez asked me to exhibit at his beautiful space, 33 Contemporary Gallery located at Zhou B Art Center. My vision was to create a show where pieces speaks to viewers and also make them affordable. The show comes to life with 53 pieces, all 6x6 inches. 5 and 3 have always been my numbers throughout life and one day looking them up out of curiosity,  realized 5 symbolizes Freedom and 3 symbolizes Creativity and everything started to fall into place even more. 

Each piece has a different look and all are different from one another but they all have one thing in common, the love and energy they carry, the shapes which might seem familiar from the Persian and Islamic architectural shapes, the vibrant colors of Persian rugs, the beautiful Farsi calligraphy and Rumi poetry which is only a small part of the rich and beautiful culture of my motherland. 

I invite you to enjoy the silence of the space, if you listen, you will hear the pieces talking to you, they are telling you their story. While going through the creation process, I was reminded by below quote by Rumi:- 

"Listen to silence, it has so much to say"

Tempo Memoria Group Exhibition in Italy

Group shot 

Turin

I was thrilled when Sergio Gomez asked me to be part of this amazing group exhibition. I have shown my work internationally before in London Biennale but this was a different experience. We were going to exhibit in a Museum in Turin-Itlay. I was debating if I should go on the trip or not...after all traveling to Italy is not really cheap. But then again I thought how many times I would get this chance to go and meet up with other artist friends of mine, maybe meet up with old friends who might be traveling in Europe in summer and of course experience the exhibition in person. So here I went to the amazing city of Turin. As soon as I got to see downtown and where the museum was located, I was blown away. This charming city has a lot of character, lot of energy, I was simply blown away.

The next day we all were there for the opening. What a night this was. It was truly an amazing experience. The next few days went by so fast with visiting the landmarks and museums and even a one day trip to Milan. As an artist, I truly believe traveling is always necessary as it will open new doors, gives you inspirations and ideas and also connects you to so many amazing people...

Below photos were taken by the amazing Sergio Gomez who curated this exhibit, who showed us how to dare to dream again...

The Museum MIIT

Each artist had two pieces in this exhibit. As for me below pieces were shown. It actually made it to the local newspaper in Turin as well!

Met a friend from Dubai after 4 years

Photo by ACS Magazine

During the opening night, each artist talked a bit about their work and how it is linked to the theme of the exhibit "Time & Memory" - We all had a blast.

Opening Reception 

The whole experience was just amazing, being able to showcase my art outside Iran and U.S and in Europe was so heart warming. The exhibit runs till August 20th 2016 so in case you find yourself in the beautiful charming city of Turin, make sure to pay a visit to this lovely museum and see our works.

What's coming next to Saugatuck Center for the Arts

The opening reception for "Shortcut to the Silk Road" at the beautiful Saugatuck Center for the Arts turned out to an amazing event last night. Walking in to the building, viewers were served with a very special "Mar-Tea-Ni" - Tea infused Martini - cocktails in the spirit of the exhibit's title. Viewers then walk in to the main gallery passing by walls covered with the word "LOVE" in Farsi all over. There is a map of Silk Road painted on the wall of the exhibit with art pieces on them. Tea and Saffron were some of the most famous trade goods traveled through Silk Road from ancient Persia hence they were used as one of the mediums in these pieces.

Right after is the "Love" corner. With it's walls and floors covered with the word "LOVE" in Farsi, I try to showcase the power of positivity around us. Growing up in Tehran, I have always seen negative graffiti words on the walls of Tehran...I believe in the power of affirmations; why not try to turn something negative into a positive thing?

We had another event the week after the opening called "You have brought Bliss" which mainly focused on the rich hospitality traditions of Iran and Persia. In the class I shared information about ancient customs of welcoming the stranger which is completely new to those who just have their vision of Iran based on what they see on Media. We all enjoyed a dish I prepared as well and shared the recipe with all. This sold out event was extremely important for me as I wanted to give all the opportunity to ask any questions they have freely.

Our upcoming event is called "Creativity Revealed" which will be held on February 15th at 7pm at Saugatuck Center for the Arts and is Sponsored by the Saugatuck-Douglas Art Club. I'm honored to be  be interviewed by Salvatore Sapienza and then I will take all into the process of creating my pieces and shortly after that a hands-on demonstration opportunity. There are still few spots available for this Free event. To secure your spot, visit HERE.