Amir Khojasteh: Living in a Burning House

“Amidst the unsettled times of an uprising in Iran, grappling with uncertainties, sadness, and paradoxes, artist Amir Khojasteh sought solace in his studio and tried to make sense of what was happening … In this topsy-turvy world, the artist persisted in painting and crafting head sculptures of the divs, as if triumphing over them in a parallel timeline” (a div in Persian mythology is a supernatural creature or demon, often depicted as a powerful and malevolent entity with magical abilities). Khojasteh’s sculptures symbolise victory over the divs, capturing the demons in their defeated state.

Alongside the heads are paintings that echo monotype print accidents and textures on canvas. Every painting can be read as a self-portrait or a commentary on a bizarre situation. “Dazed by the smoke of the ongoing fire, one will need to find ways to make that situation more apprehensible. Khojasteh laughs at what he witnessed, and through this laughter, he exposes its contingency, its ephemerality, and irreality [sic]”.

To 28 May.

Above: Amir Khojasteh, Head of Div No8 (2024)