Arghavan Khosravi Consumes The Subjects Of Her Vibrant Sculptural paintings
Using striking symbolic language that seems to drift from subconscious realms, Arghavan Khosravi commands the subjects of her vibrant, sculptural paintings. She offers multi-dimensional windows into the lives of Iranian women, whose relationship with their environments is in a perpetual state of quandary. At first glance, one might be struck by the pleasing, almost comforting beauty of these works. Yet this impression is quickly rattled by the startling imagery evoked from her melancholic concepts. Through these scenarios, conflicting feelings emerge: of brutality and elegance, of defeat and triumph, of discordance and tranquility. With numerous panels of detailed paintings juxtaposed in tiers and combined with physical objects, there is a lot to take in.
Consider her larger-than-life female figures, whose faces are often dissected (like metaphorical hijabs) by dreamy, vivid hues. They’re sometimes even blindfolded. Although fully or partially obscured, their gazes manage to reveal a kind of private, internal yearning. We may then notice how they stand beside complex, architectural anomalies, or interact within peculiar domestic scenarios that just may be figments of stifled memories. The softness of her palate combined with the harshness of certain shapes and configurations feel as though her subjects are trapped in an unsettling dream realm. Or perhaps they are phantom participants in corporeal belief systems. Nonetheless, the underlying feeling is that of disconnection, and the lack of a stable home base.
Above: photo by Stan Narten
Despite their displacement, these women stoically await the opportunity to assert their significant place within a world that tries its best to stifle them. Many of these protagonists are shown shackled and bound, their lips severely sewn shut with society’s forbidding string, their bodies weighted by black iron balls. But in their hearts, these strings may not necessarily represent the fabric of reality, nor may these balls serve as anchors to their singing spirits. No, within them we sense an unwavering resilience and visionary quality. A kind of unstated courage. Clues to this fact are the spiritual advantages many of the women are shown to secretly possess. A rising sun cradled within the palm of a hand, or an illuminating flashlight in another, invisible arms which surround their subjects with solace, and skeleton keys dangling from strings—these tools may hold powers that are perhaps grossly underestimated by the patriarch.
How does Khosravi come up with her complex symbolism? Does it arise through emotional spontaneity? Or is it perhaps developed through premeditated methods? Her thoughts reveal that it’s a multi-faceted process. She says, “I think it’s a combination of both. First different symbols and visual metaphors come to my mind, through some sort of stream of thought. Then later when I’m working on the initial sketches and studies more, I make decisions on which ones to keep or to make adjustments to. At this stage the process becomes much more calculated.”
I HOPE THAT BY TELLING MY STORY (AND THE STORY OF OTHER WOMEN FROM MY COUNTRY) THROUGH MY PAINTINGS, I SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE ISSUES WE HAVE GONE THROUGH AND STILL ARE GOING THROUGH…”
Khosravi has been exploring concepts that broach the impact of repression towards Iranian women since the beginning of her painting practice. In today’s climate, however, her works are more relevant than ever. The recent transgressions posed upon women’s rights by the Iranian government, followed by an explosion of nationwide riots, are hot topics preluded within Khosravi’s work. “Since the current events started in Iran, my first reaction was anger and also hope. As always, I decided to channel these feelings in my paintings. Therefore, I am more motivated than ever to reflect on the issues around human rights, and more specifically, women’s rights in my work. I have been working on these subject matters for quite some time now but these days I feel more empowered as an Iranian woman, and I am sure this feeling will be reflected in my paintings too.”
When asked about the political role her paintings might play in society, she responds, “To be honest, I don’t consider myself an activist and never thought my art is some form of activism. For me, at first, painting has a meditative quality which helps me deal with my own traumas, on both a personal and collective level.” Often change must first take place internally before we start to see external results. Through visual languages and the messages they contain, this internal process is something that the artist can help bring about. She adds, “I hope that by telling my story (and the story of other women from my country) through my paintings, I shed some light on the issues we have gone through and still are going through and bring some level of awareness, even the tiniest bit. I believe as an artist I raise questions, while activists seek out answers.”
Within Khosravi’s unique visual landscape, the influence of her native culture is omnipresent. Sprinkled throughout are motifs reminiscent of decorative Persian carpets, and symbolic emblems such as the pomegranate, which is considered to represent the original forbidden fruit, yet is also a sign of fertility, light, and goodness. Naturally, there are dense political metaphors which reference both centuries-old and contemporary issues. Jarring missiles, white flags and even renditions of classic Persian war-scene paintings all make their appearances. Through all this we are witness to a debate occurring between her modern subjects and all that represents traditional attitudes which may, in due time, ultimately lead to positive transformation. For instance, several of her paintings show female characters interacting with ancient sculptures. Busts are shown from a less-than-superior vantage point, either cracked or dismantled, yet cling to their waning victims by a stubborn thread. Despite this irksome attachment, the women are undoubtedly the teachers in these scenarios, conveying truths that should no longer be avoided. Yet, teaching an old dog new tricks is never an easy task, therefor the theme of patience and tolerance also recurs throughout these works. Like any successful narrative, it is this dramatic dynamic—of good and evil, tension and release, which makes for such effective visual storytelling. We find ourselves asking what will happen next, and who will be the victor in these battles.
Born and raised in Iran through most of her life, Khosravi has been living as a professional creative since graduating from high school, although it didn’t exactly begin with painting. Throughout her teens she had originally planned to go on to study mathematics. Yet as tends to happen with genuine artists at one point or another, that creative urge came knocking and she decided to switch to something more aesthetically fulfilling. Not yet committed to the financially unpredictable world of fine art, she opted for a more practical approach—for ten years graphic design helped get her feet wet with visual discipline, while also paying for grad school. It wasn’t until 2015, upon moving to the U.S., that she was able to dive into painting full-scale, and hasn’t looked back since. This self-reflective career shift has proven to be rewarding.
“When I was a graphic designer and worked in an ad agency, I interacted with different people on a daily basis. But now as a painter, I am spending most of my time alone in the studio. It is actually something I don’t find annoying at all. Because when I am in my studio painting, I feel like I am in the best place I could possibly be and doing the thing I enjoy the most,” she says.
I BELIEVE AS AN ARTIST I RAISE QUESTIONS, WHILE ACTIVISTS SEEK OUT ANSWERS.”
One thing immediately apparent in Khosravi’s work is the immaculate detail and carefully constructed, near-geometric compositions, which echo her early fascination with mathematics and training in graphic design. Another element that specifically influences her style are Persian miniatures, which are meticulous paintings on paper, often featuring allegorical figures within decorative backdrops. In such works there is also an overarching usage of architecture, which serves as both a narrative and compositional trait. This characteristic, coupled with the fact that Khosravi’s father was himself an architect, undoubtedly plays a big role in the way that she creates her own compositions. In her version, she uses different sized wood panels to render various planes of perspective.
Khosravi had been playing with 3D elements for some time, but it wasn’t until the isolating onset of the pandemic that she began to envision her painting more like sculptures. With the extra time and mental space to unabashedly explore new methods and formats, she began incorporating multiple panels and found objects into her already multi-dimensional work. This was a daring move for her at the time, given very little feedback from her peers and having to rely solely on personal instinct. It turned out to be a good call, as she has developed a style so distinctly her own.
“I always build my own panels. I learned how to work with wood in graduate school. We had a woodshop in our campus and in order to have access to it, we had to pass a one-day workshop so we could learn how to work with each tool. That was my first introduction to power tools. There was a very friendly technical assistant in the woodshop who was always willing to help. S, gradually over the course of the two years I was in school, he taught me how to build different panels. Later on, I expanded my woodworking skills by watching online tutorials.”
…WHEN I AM IN MY STUDIO PAINTING, I FEEL LIKE I AM IN THE BEST PLACE I COULD POSSIBLY BE AND DOING THE THING I ENJOY THE MOST.”
It seems Khosravi has managed to master a whole gamut of skills, quite prolifically, in order to implement her unusual and meticulous constructions. As far as coming up with the figurative aspects, her process here is also fairly self-reliant. “I usually go through a lot of source materials I find online or in books. For the figures or portraits I have in my painting, I sometimes combine multiple photos from different sources, plus I like to add some features from my own imagination.”
Having honed a rhythm to her workflow over the last few years, Khosravi remains busy as ever and is always in search of new ways to challenge herself. Nowadays, she is currently plugging away on an upcoming solo exhibition at The Rose Art Museum in Waltham, Massachusetts, which opens next summer. She also just finished a series of paintings for a second solo exhibition at Stems Gallery in Brussels, which will open this fall.
Although her themes of hardship and empowerment remain consistent, the way Khosravi communicates this narrative undoubtedly twists and turns, depending on the orchestration of the mediums she harnesses, and her innovative flair for reflecting the emotional world around her.
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