NEW YORK, NY – Chelsea’s Agora Gallery will feature the original work of Iranian-American artist Shabnam Yousefian in Portals of Perception. The exhibition opens March 10, 2017 and runs through March 30, 2017 with an opening reception on Thursday, March 16 from 6-8 pm.
The paintings of Iranian-American artist Shabnam Yousefian are as rich in figurative detail as they are profound in the abstract elements contained within. Much of Yousefian’s work is inspired by a childhood in Iran and the restrictions and inequality she grew up with as a girl/woman. Themes of freedom and independence still pervade her work, and through the art she seeks to demonstrate that reality isn’t always what can be seen and/or felt using the five senses. Combining realistic figurative and landscape renderings with abstract elements, Yousefian demonstrates to the viewer that things are not always what they seem and highlights the implicit deception in outward appearances.
Above all, Yousefian’s goal is to demonstrate to viewers that our experiences in life cast a reflection on us along with our surrounding environment, which is as inexplicable as it is weighty. It is through our recognition of life’s reflections that we’re able to better understand our context and journey. As she so eloquently states, “reflection reveals the hidden realities”—a truth revealed again and again in her work.
Shabnam Yousefian lives and works in Claremont, California.
Exhibition Dates: March 10, 2017 – March 30, 2017
Reception: Thursday, March 16, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11-6
Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, Chelsea, New York
Event URL: http://www.agora-gallery.com/artistpage/Shabnam_Yousefian.aspx
Featured Artists:
Portals of Perception
Colin Grant | Sydnei SmithJordan | Ron Turner | Nancy Holleran | Shabnam Yousefian | Tanja Skytte
About the Exhibition
Portals of Perception: Deep Thoughts in Painting
Five painters of remarkable sensitivity come together for Portals of Perception, a new group exhibition presented this March by Agora Gallery. This small, concentrated group represents the many ways of paying attention to detail - in portraiture, in landscape, even in non-representational works. Three of the included artists are interested in setting the scene for us. One paints the terrain from a traditional distant viewpoint, but his images are gauzy and stylized: one city skyline appears as pure black on gray, looming through a fog, while another has buildings that resemble a family of brightly colored giants. The other two landscape painters give us street-level scenes, one depicting a vibrant watercolor world of sea sides and fishermen, the other offering rich, hyper realistic urban streets in oil. In both, the essence is of the moment. The exhibit’s abstract artist creates beautiful, understated textures with her acrylic, often in monotone to make the patterns sing all the more. The mixed-media portraits are premier examples of character studies: unapologetically unique women depicted in both traditional and non-traditional contexts.
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