ARGHAVAN KHOSRAVI
She Had a Dream, 2018
Curated by Kristen Smoragiewicz
Born soon after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian-born artist Arghavan Khosravi watched her country transform from a Western-friendly monarchy into a suppressive republic. Her paintings reflect her experience as a child and teenager living what she felt was a "double life," one that required her to adhere to strict Islamic Law in public, and in private, allowed her the freedom to think and act freely, according to the press release. In She Had a Dream, the artist incorporates an actual rug, cut and applied to the painting, its fringe hanging around the edges of the canvas. Says the press release, "Compositionally the work draws influence from the tradition of Persian miniature painting; utilizing stacked perspective, cutaway views of architecture, bold color, rich detail, and frontal or three quarter views of faces." Khosravi earned her MFA from RISD last year, and has previously exhibited at Fridman Gallery, the Newport Art Museum, and the Seattle Art Fair, among others.