Safaei’s Multidimensional Art at Shirin Gallery

TEHRAN. (Iranart) solo exhibition featuring artworks by Iranian artist Iman Safaei opened on Friday at Shirin Gallery in Tehran.

Titled ‘Alley’, the exhibit is Safaei’s fourth individual show which includes his recent works such as the various pieces of sculptures, flags, writings, and gravure and zinc sheets among others that are predominantly large-scale and abstract.

According to a press release from the gallery, “Safaei explores language in the fields of lyrics, riddles, idioms, curses, tales, satire, popular sayings and proverbs, to find a mutual interest in object, abstraction, and culture.”

He believes that the image of any community’s memory is reflected in its language.

His assemblages and sculptures are often composed of simple materials, yet evoking a range of associations. They speak of tradition and the surroundings by combining the textures of objects with the rawness of materials such as iron and steel or common pieces found in everyday life.

What is intriguing is the use of Persian texts in his recent art, which are transformed into tangled and sometimes distinct words, with geometrical grids often merged with writing and reflecting the urban development.

Safaei, 35, lives and works in Tehran. He has been involved in fine arts during his 15 years of professional career. His extensive oeuvre of work showcases iconic visual language and multidimensional pieces, through various mediums including concrete, metal, neon and print.

His works are included in a number of private collections, and one of his iron sculptures is in the permanent collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The artworks will be on display through July 25 at the gallery located at No. 5, 13th St., Sanaee St., Karimkhan Zand Ave.