DUBAI.- Zawyeh Gallery is presenting "The Season of Ruin’s Remembrance," a solo exhibition of new paintings by Iranian artist Amirhossein Bayani. The exhibition runs from February 2nd to April 6th, 2025.
Bayani’s vibrant and intricate paintings delve into profound themes of life, immigration, and freedom, with a particular focus on the struggles of women. Working with landscapes, his latest series employs natural elements to express complex emotional states and envision a more harmonious future.
Each piece in "The Season of Ruin’s Remembrance" is inspired by the true story of an Iranian woman who fought for freedom and ultimately lost her life. However, instead of depicting their heroic and tragic narratives, Bayani places these figures within ethereal forest seftings. They appear as statues or translucent spirits, memorialized amidst the trees, standing on rocks or at the edge of lakes.
While these landscapes initially appear paradisiacal, bursting with color and life, an underlying eeriness emerges. The vibrant greens are luminous, the foliage so dense that it creates a barrier, blocking out the light. In several paintings, drips of red paint cascade down the canvas, symbolizing the bloodshed not only in Iran but also in global conflicts.
“This tension between beauty and horror,” explains Bayani, “reflects the struggle for emancipation. It all depends on your perspective.”
The exhibition also pays tribute to Mohammad Moradi, an Iranian man who tragically drowned himself in the Rhone River to raise awareness about the ongoing oppression of Iranian women. The paintings depict women in canoes, embarking on journeys towards freedom, yet they remain solitary figures, haunted by the memories of their homeland and the hardships they have endured.
Despite the somber undertones, "The Season of Ruin’s Remembrance" also offers glimmers of hope. Blooming pink roses symbolize femininity, growth, and the promise of new beginnings.
“As an artist from the Middle East,” Bayani observes, “the concept of liberation often seems distant and unaftainable. Yet, when I look at nature, I am able to imagine a future filled with peace.”
Amirhossein Bayani (b. 1977, Tehran, Iran) is a painter, visual artist, and curator. He received a B.A. in painting from Tehran University School of Art in 2004 and an M.F.A. in Art Research from Tehran Azad University in 2008. He is a member of the Iranian Painters Society (IPS) and the founder and director of MERXOUT Projects. Bayani’s work has been shown extensively in solo and group exhibitions around the world, including “Out of Context” at Ars Libri Ltd. in Boston, USA (2018), “Babylon System” at Mohsen Gallery in Tehran, Iran (2013), “What happened to the women in Shahnameh?” at Mohsen Gallery in Tehran, Iran (2010), “Brides of our Time” at Etemad Art Gallery in Tehran, Iran (2009), and “Eyes’ Wide Shot” at Azad Art Gallery in Tehran, Iran (2006), and lastly “For the Requiem Years Past” at Sahar K. Boluki Gallery in Toronto, Canada (2023).
