Arghavan Khosravi consumes subjects in her vibrant sculptural paintings

The influence of local culture is everywhere in Khosravi’s unique visual landscape. Patterns scattered throughout are reminiscent of decorative Persian rugs, as well as symbolic symbols such as the pomegranate, which is believed to represent the original forbidden fruit but is also a symbol of fertility, light and goodness. Of course, there are plenty of political metaphors in the book, touching on issues from centuries past and contemporary issues. Screeching missiles, white flags, and even renditions of classic Persian war scene paintings make an appearance. Through it all we witness the debate that takes place between her modern themes and everything that represents traditional attitudes, which in due course may ultimately lead to a positive transformation. For example, several of her paintings show female characters interacting with ancient sculptures. The busts are shown from less than privileged vantage points, either cracked or dismantled but clinging to their dwindling victims with a stubborn thread. Despite this tiresome attachment, these women are undoubtedly teachers in these scenes, delivering truths that should no longer be avoided. However, teaching an old dog new tricks is never easy, so themes of patience and tolerance also run through these works. Like any successful narrative, it’s this dramatic dynamic of good and evil, tension and release, that makes such an effective visual narrative. We find ourselves asking what will happen next, and who will emerge victorious from these battles.

Born and raised in Iran for most of her life, Khosravi has been living as a professional creator since graduating from high school, although she didn’t start out painting. During her teenage years, she originally planned to continue studying mathematics. However, as often happens to true artists at some point, the creative urge struck and she decided to move on to something more aesthetically pleasing. She had yet to plunge into the financially unpredictable world of fine art, opting instead for a more practical approach—for a decade, graphic design helped familiarize her with the visual discipline while also paying for graduate school. It wasn’t until she moved to the United States in 2015 that she was able to fully devote herself to painting, and she never looked back. This self-reflective career move proved beneficial.

“When I was a graphic designer and worked in an advertising agency, I was interacting with different people every day. But now as a painter, I spend most of my time alone in the studio. In fact, I don’t find it annoying at all. Because when I’m painting in the studio, I feel like I’m in the best position, doing what I love the most,” she said.

I believe that as an artist I ask questions and activists seek answers. “

One thing that is evident in Khosravi’s work is the perfection of detail and carefully constructed, almost geometric compositions that echo her early fascination with mathematics and graphic design training. Another element that particularly influenced her style was Persian miniatures, which are detailed paintings on paper, often depicting allegorical figures within a decorative background. Architecture is also used extensively in these works, both narratively and compositionally. This characteristic, coupled with the fact that Khosravi’s father was an architect in his own right, undoubtedly played an important role in the way she created her work. In her version, she uses wooden boards of different sizes to render different perspective planes.

Khosravi has been playing with 3D elements for some time, but it wasn’t until the isolation of the pandemic that she began to think of her paintings as more like sculptures. With the extra time and mental space to unabashedly explore new methods and forms, she began incorporating multiple panels and found objects into her already multi-dimensional work. This was a bold move for her at the time, as she had little feedback from peers and had to rely on personal intuition. This turned out to be a good decision as she has developed a unique style.

“I always made my own panels. I learned how to work with wood in graduate school. We had a woodshop on campus, and in order to get into it we had to go through a one-day workshop so that we could learn how to use each tool. This was my first exposure to power tools. The woodshop had a very friendly technical assistant who was always willing to help. S, over the two years I was in school, he gradually taught me how to make different panels. Later on, I expanded my woodworking skills by watching online tutorials.”

…when I’m in my studio painting and I feel like I’m in the best position I could be in, doing what I love most. ”