Advocartsy is proud to present Portraiture now: Iranian contemporary, a group exhibition with a public opening on Tuesday February 18th, from 7-9 pm at Advocartsy’s West Hollywood gallery located at 434 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. The Opening Reception is in conjunction with Frieze Week LA.

Portraiture now: Iranian contemporary, is an expansive yet partial survey of the portraiture practices of 26 artists of Iranian origin. Each artist engages the genre through a unique lens, showcasing the evolution of portraiture from a historical and stylistic genre to a contemporary practice. This exhibition explores the possibilities and range of portraiture through each artist's interpretation of what a person-to-person connection has come to mean in today’s context. Whether they be self-portraits, traditional sittings, historical portraits, or more abstract interpretations, this group show aims to celebrate the beauty and resilience of the people around us, and the connections we continuously develop through visual media.

This exhibition features works by Afsoon, Pouya Afshar, Mohammad Barrangi, Kourosh Beigpour, Ali Dadgar, Amir H. Fallah, Roya Farassat, Asad Faulwell, Mokarrameh Ghanbari, Parastou Forouhar, Nahid Hagigat, Marjan Hormozi, Tahmineh Javanbakht, Simon Keramati, Farshid Mesghali, Dana Nehdaran, Nicky Nodjoumi, Mobina Nouri, Zartosht Rahimi, Bahar Sabzevar, Hadi Salehi, Sepideh Salehi, Delbar Shahbaz, Foroozan Shirghani, Alireza Shojaian, and Shadi Yousefia

Curatorial statement

Portraiture is a timeless medium that serves as both a reflection of the self and a record of cultural history and identity. Iran’s artistic heritage is rich with figurative representation, from ancient Persian reliefs and manuscripts, to the intricate depictions of Safavid and Qajar portraiture. Historically, portraiture in Iran has served multiple functions– as a tool of political power, a means of spiritual storytelling, and a celebration of aesthetic beauty. Given Iran’s complex history - ranging from ancient Persian traditions to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and contemporary global influences- identity in Iranian art is often shaped by personal and collective trauma, beauty and narrative.

Portraiture now: Iranian contemporary brings together works by 26 contemporary Iranian artists as a partial survey of portraiture in contemporary art. Each artist offers a distinct approach to portraiture, spanning styles from hyperrealism to abstraction, from traditional influences to digital creations. The works exhibited are representative of the larger themes of identity as explored in art, including the concepts of cultural and national identity, migration and displacement, feminism and gender, and political and social activism.

In Iranian contemporary art, traditional notions of portraiture are often defied by abstracting, removing or obscuring the central figure. This approach is not merely an aesthetic choice, but a powerful tool to explore identity beyond the physical self, as done in exhibited works by artists including Pouya Afshar, Amir H. Fallah and Hadi Salehi.

Many works exhibited in this exhibition reference historical or cultural symbols and public figures to not only preserve history, but also to have an opportunity to reinterpret or allow new perspectives and commentaries on the past. In this exhibition, Pouya Afshar and Dana Nehdran reference historical photographs as Ali Dadgar, Asad Faulwell, Farshid Mesghali, Mobina Nouri and Zartosht Rahimi reimagine historical figures in their work. Mohammd Barrangi is inspired by Qajar portraiture, whereas Bahar Sabzevari and Kourosh Beigpour are inspired by and incorporate the subversion of Persian motifs and elements in their work.

This exhibition showcases a strong presence of works exploring feminism and gender, an integral, prescient, and overarching theme for many contemporary Iranian artists. Works by Afsoon, Roya Farassat, Parastou Forouhar, Mokarrameh Ghanbari, Nahid Hagigat, Marjan Hormozi, Tahmineh Javanbakht, Simin Keramati, Mobina Nouri, Bahar Sabzevari, Sepideh Salehi, Delbar Shahbaz, and Foroozan Shirghani, explore the self in relation to otherness and societal pressure. The works by Shadi Yousefian and Alireza Shojaian intend to break down rigid binaries and imposed expectations as they redefine portrayals of gender, masculinity, and femininity.

Human rights and political injustices are examined and emphasized by Nicky Nodjoumi and Parastou Forouhar; these concepts are core to the practice of each of these artists. These artists offer an examination of not just ourselves, but our humanity or lack thereof.

Ultimately, the 26 works exhibited in Portraiture now: Iranian contemporary are not just portraits but portals into shared and individual histories, struggles and triumphs, and into the ongoing negotiations of identity in a continuously shifting cultural landscape. These works challenge, celebrate and reimagine Iranian identity in all its complexity, showing that portraiture is more than a reflection of the self: it is a space of resistance, storytelling and transformation.