Afshin Pirhashemi solo show

The new solo exhibition of the Iranian artist Afshin Pirhashemi (b. 1974, Urmia) at Ayyam Gallery DIFC shows a new side of his research.
The sporadic occurrences of colour in his otherwise black and white iconic portrayals of women, already noticed in his 2013 show, progressively gain territory on his canvases. This increasing thirst for pigments originates from the artist’s feelings and emotions, which he judges impossible to convey with a greyscale at the present time.

The work of Iranian painter Afshin Pirhashemi examines the complexities of life in modern day Iran. On sparse or empty backgrounds, his largely monochromatic, photo-realistic depictions of women nod to gothic fantasy in an exploration of issues of contemporary social and political identity.

The painter Afshin Pirhashemi, born in 1974 in Urmia, lives and works in Tehran. His works are housed in public and private collections throughout the Middle East and Europe and he is the recipient of awards from the 2003 Tehran 6th International Art Biennial, and the 2004 Beijing Art Biennial Award. Solo exhibitions include Ayyam Gallery, Dubai (2013); Homa art Gallery, Tehran (2009); Seyhoun Art Gallery, Tehran (2005); and Barg Gallery, Tehran (2005). Group exhibitions include In & Out, Milan (2009); Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran (2006); Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran (2004, 2003), among others.