Bubble Land is the latest solo exhibition by Iranian artist Naeemeh Kazemi, taking place at Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai. On view until 15 September 2025, the show unveils a collection of captivating oil paintings in which the oceanic abyss is transformed into a fantastical stage, populated by glowing creatures, clown-like figures, and confetti-like bubbles. Within these lush and unsettling tableaux, playfulness merges with unease, and the motifs oscillate between the grotesque and the sublime, mirroring the contradictions of contemporary life.
Kazemi’s hyper-detailed paintings stretch visual complexity to its limits. Her surreal distortions and tactile surfaces draw viewers into an alternate universe where spectacle veils fragility. At the same time, the works extend, in the artist’s words, “a quiet offering: a space to pause, reflect, and immerse in a universe that resists simplification.” Each canvas blurs illusion with reality, demanding attentive engagement.
About the artist
Naeemeh Kazemi (b.1981, Tehran, Iran) earned an MA in Painting from Alzahra University (Tehran). She has contributed to Iran’s Cultural Exchange Project as a children’s art specialist. She is also a member of the Association of Iranian Painters, the Iran Visual Art Institute, and the Institute for the Protection of Artists, Journalists, and Writers.
Originally trained as a sculptor, Kazemi was shaped by the visual richness of children’s art and the intricate patterns of Persian rugs, influences that continue to animate her practice. Her turn to painting during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 marked a decisive transformation, giving rise to the lush and symbolic canvases that define her current style.
The artist’s work features abundant flora, mythic creatures, classical figures, and symbolic imagery, weaving together feminism, humanity, environmental anxiety, and the psychological weight of isolation into dreamlike, hyperreal narratives. Kazemi creates visual worlds that defy geographic and cultural boundaries, blending imagery from nature, historical art, and everyday objects to evoke feelings both personal and universal. Her suspended symbols and lush compositions reflect a constant questioning of meaning and existence.
Kazemi’s previous solo show, La La Land (2023), also held at Leila Heller Gallery, offered a fantastical escape into intricately composed dreamscapes, meditations on anxiety, fragmentation, and the disquiet of the pandemic era.
To get more information about Bubble Land, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting I Paint Your Grace, I Paint Your Pain, I Paint Love by Persian-American artist Reza Derakshani and Mauka to Makai by Shingo Yamazaki.
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