Incorporating Islamic motifs and contemporary commentary in his Miraj series, Ahmadi’s large canvases merge the ancient and sacred with modern-day developments. Brightly-coloured, harsh brushstrokes, heavily incorporating the green colour so dominant in Iran’s recent events, outline a celestial journey juxtaposed with today’s reality.
Speaking about his recent work, Shahriar Ahmadi said, “I always paint in eras searching for meaning and content in the ancient literature, religion and history of Iran.... I begin each work with the complete absence of fear and total love for art. I use my hands to lay the paint on the surface. They are by far my favorite tools to work with as they remove one step in the transference of my imagination to t he canvas. I work with speed, working and reworking the paint and thus I find acrylic to be a suitable medium.”
Ahmadi’s work has previously been exhibited at Etemad in Tehran as well as in China, Switzerland, the UK and Kuwait. His recent works exhibition is the second show to be hosted at Etemad’s new Dubai space in the Al Serkal Avenue within Al Quoz.
“Shahriar’s paintings have an energy and perspective that will resonate with the region’s collectors – his recent works fuse the historic with the contemporary in a fresh and compelling manner,” said Aly Afshar, managing director of Etemad. “Shahriar’s pieces are an ideal follow-up to our inaugural exhibition of the new wave of British artists and the gallery’s success at Art Dubai – our goal is to highlight both new and established artists to address the diversity of collectors’ tastes in this region.”
