Iranian artist Afarin Sajedi crafts stirring portraits of women that explore their role in society and pull in iconography and notes from global cultures. In an upcoming show at Dorothy Circus Gallery, the first solo effort in the U.K. for the artist, she offers recent paintings. The show kicks off March 8 and runs through April 6.
“With a colourful palette, Afarin Sajedi intelligently addresses the relationship between women and the contemporary society, exploring their feelings and their identity,” the gallery says. “Her compositions focus on the inner strength of women, but also on the suffering for the burdens to bear. The women’s clown-like make-up style, expressive gaze, parted lips, and blushing cheeks reveal a strong inner conflict between fear and hope.”
See more of Sajedi’s work below.
Anachronistic worlds painted by 
Dave Pollot revitalizes thrift store paintings with surreal or pop culture-centered flourishes. The artist recently painted giant banana duct taped to an existing mountainous backdrop for a piece auctioned for charity. The reason: Pollot says these conversations “can happen while people have little or nothing to eat."
In Barry McGee’s current show at Perrotin’s Hong Kong gallery, titled “The Other Side,” the artist creates a new immersive environment that blends his love of retro patterns, lettering, advertisements, and comic strip characters. The show runs through Nov. 9 at the space. McGee was featured in Hi-Fructose Vols.