Solo Exhibition - Shortcut to The Silk Road

  This is a great way to start the new year; solo exhibition in the beautiful Center For The Arts in Saugatuck, MI. The title of the exhibit - "Shortcut To The Silk Road" - invites you on a journey back in history. The ancient silk road is a historical route which connected East and West. It began as a trade route more than 2000 years go and quickly became a cultural bridge linking cultures, religions, languages and traditions between the countries it traveled.  Join us for the opening day of this exhibit and feel the pulse of civilization as you explore the cultural influences in these pieces. There will be a discussion on the opening day January 22nd 2016 starting at 5 pm followed by the official opening from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Saugatuck Center For The Arts is located at 400 Culver Street, Saugatuck, MI Visiting hours : Monday - Friday , 9am - 5pm

In regards to this exhibit there are few other events happening as below. If you are interested to attend any of the below events, please feel free to contact myself or Saugatuck Center For The Arts to get more details. I will be sharing more detailed information on each event as we get closer to the dates.

• Rotary lunch lecture
• January 22nd 2016 :Opening reception 5:30 - 7:30PM, VIP Gallery Talk  5-5:30PM. 
• "Taste the Silk Road" event
• Creativity Revealed

See you at Art Basel Miami 2015

  Art Basel stages the world's premier modern and contemporary art fairs.  It is staged annually in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. A driving force in supporting the role that galleries play in nurturing the careers of their artists, Art Basel frequently expands its platforms to include the newest developments in the visual arts.  Being able to visit Art Basel Miami has always been on top of my list and now It's with pleasure to announce that one of my pieces will be shown at Spectrum Miami during Art Basel 2015. Spectrum is a juried, contemporary art fair in the heart of Midtown Miami featuring an international slate of artists and galleries. It’s where contemporary meets extraordinary. My piece was chosen to be part of spectrum as part of a competition though Artavita online Magazine, which is part of the Worldwide Art Book company in Santa Barbara, CA. What better way to see Miami for the first time than being there doing Art Basel, see some amazing art pieces from all over the world, mingle with friends, connect with new ones. Mark your calendars and come look for my piece at Spectrum Miami tent, from 2-6 December 2015 located at 1700 NE 2nd ave, Miami - World Wide Art/Artavita, booth 520.

The title of this piece is a quote by Rumi "Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there" and it is 12x12 inches, mixed media on wood panel. Below is a brief statement on my art pieces.

"When I Found Love, I Became Immortal"-Rumi (13 CE)

In my pieces I merge traditional Iranian art forms with a contemporary sensibility. In combining Farsi calligraphy and Islamic architectural designs with mixed media (including resin and gold leaf) and bold lines and framing, I try to affirm the enduring aesthetic of a culture that is too often represented through the limited lenses of war and political turmoil. The meticulous composition of these works share the laconic beauty of Rumi's poetry, which ultimately works to create an emotionally resonant homage to tradition in the frenetic modern world.

Nostalgic memories of my beloved Iran remind me of who I am, and fortify my sense of cultural pride in a land that all too often depicts a most disconcerting and often polar-opposite reflection of my cherished motherland.

Challenges and benefits of being an Artist in Chicago

Any move has its own challenges specially when you move to a new country and want to grow your art career in the best way possible. What makes it easier is when you have access to the right resources and are guided through the challenges by experts, it all makes it so much more easier to grow as an Artist. Being an artist these days, there is so much work to do in parallel of making art to be able to get where you want with a healthy mind and soul. I find myself extremely lucky to have found the support I needed with The Artists Next Level. Their available courses and guidelines are a great source for artists who want to take their Art Career seriously. They offer professional development courses for artists at all levels in their art career. I was thrilled to be part of one of their podcasts they did to share the challenges and benefits of being an Artist in Chicago. It was truly amazing to be part of it and also to be able to hear from all the other amazing Chicago based Artists. You can listen to the podcast HERE. My part starts on minute 17 of the podcast.