Open Space

DAILY ART NEWS

Reza Derakshani’s Night Conveys the Light, Every Day & Every Night at Leila Heller Gallery

Iranian-American artist Reza Derakshani presents a series of new artworks in his solo exhibition “Night Conveys the Light, Every Day & Every Night” at Leila Heller Gallery, where his subtle observations of the world have been transferred onto canvas. Visitors are welcome to see it until September 7th, 2022.

Reza Derakshani’s diverse works shine a light on his perception of beauty. He was inspired by the flower fields in Sangsar, where he was born, to create these art pieces in which he has united eastern and western stylistic elements, showing his vision of humankind and nature.

In his art, Reza Derakshani remembers forgotten tales and symbols of Iran’s cultural heritage, though some of these traditions and practices have been under threat and are often illegal. Through a rich iconography drawing from medieval Persian poetry, classical literature, miniature painting, and sacred architectural sites full of meaning, Derakshani’s paintings celebrate ornamentation and colour fields.

These paintings are from his Day and Night and Fig Tree series, where the artist analyses opposing world themes. The ornamented artworks express a duality of experiences and reflect the fullness and ambiguity of life. Derakshani’s paintings often mimic poetry and music. For the artist, painting is a spiritual process that allows for a return to physicality and beauty, in a rejection of the irony that often permeates contemporary painting. With Russian culture and literature heavily incorporated into his early education, the artist notes the parallels between Iran and Russia’s ornate and metaphorically heavy classical cultural backgrounds.

At the beginning of his artistic career, the artist experimented with abstract painting, though, at the same time, he was close to Neo-expressionism. Derakshani created his artistic style by using abstract and figurative elements from both Western and Eastern cultures, creating distinctive work at the junction of civilisations. Reza Derakshani investigates the natural world, emotional states, exile and alienation. He starts his painting by applying a base of roof tar on bright, textured surfaces of his paintings; then, he uses colour in layers and other materials such as gold, silver, enamel, and sand.

Reza Derakshani, a painter, musician and performance artist, was born in 1952 in Sangsar, a small village in the North East of Iran. He graduated from The University of Tehran in 1976 and continued his studies at Pasadena School of Art. He went on to teach at the University of Tehran before leaving the country in 1986. 

Reza Derakshani’s works have been collected internationally and widely exhibited, including at the British Museum, London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the State Russian Museum, the Gunzenhauser Museum, Germany, and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. The artist also participated as a musician at festivals such as the Brooklyn Museum and the Montreux Jazz Festival. 

Decoding by Salem Alshamsi
NIKA Project Space: Coded Gestures
Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery: The Voyage Within
June 2023: Top 10 Exhibitions in Dubai
XVA Gallery: Appearance by Katia Al Tal
Well Hot at Volery Gallery
Art Dubai 2024. Curators Announced
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island
Sophiya Khwaja's Solo Show Nooks of Power
Fann À Porter Dubai: Reality Show

Most-Read Stories

Dubai Expo 2020. A Look Into the Future
Dubai Expo 2020. A Look Into the Future
Zaha Hadid in the United Arab Emirates. An Architect Ahead of her Time
Zaha Hadid in the United Arab Emirates. An Architect Ahead of her Time
Al Noor Island - a place where art and culture meet nature
Al Noor Island - a place where art and culture meet nature
Norman Foster - an Architect Building the Future. Projects in the United Arab Emirates
Norman Foster - an Architect Building the Future. Projects in the United Arab Emirates
Salem Alshamsi Decoding
Decoding by Salem Alshamsi
Salem Alshamsi Decoding
Decoding by Salem Alshamsi
NIKA Project Coded Gestures
NIKA Project Space: Coded Gestures
NIKA Project Coded Gestures
NIKA Project Space: Coded Gestures
Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery Voyage Within
Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery: The Voyage Within
Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery Voyage Within
Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery: The Voyage Within
June 2023: Top 10 Exhibitions in Dubai
June 2023: Top 10 Exhibitions in Dubai

OpenSpace

Sign Up for our Newsletters

Enter a search term