Incorporating Persian architectural elements with Christian altarpieces, Arghavan Khosravi explores the frameworks and ideological constraints that influence our lives. The Iranian artist has consistently tackled the struggle for women’s equality, particularly in the face of censorship and religious dogma in Iran. Her sculptural paintings, marked by vibrant gradients, invite viewers into pressing, ongoing dialogues about resistance and authority.
Opening today at Uffner & Liu, the exhibition What Remains unveils a compelling collection that encapsulates moments of tension and conflict. In Khosravi’s work, figures are often confined and bound to domestic objects and spaces, physically separated from each other. Featuring elements like hinged shutters, suspended cords, and small faces hidden in unexpected openings, these pieces depict women obscured by their environment, revealing only parts of a limb or face.
Historically, altarpieces have been used to tell divine stories through visuals, but Khosravi turns the focus inward. Living and working in Stamford, Connecticut, she expresses her homesickness and desire for change in Iran through her art. Large-scale pieces like “Bearing” depict a seated woman supporting a Persian structure, with a thick, black, oil-like substance oozing from its base.
The gallery shares that What Remains was already in progress before the U.S. war against Iran, not as a response to that conflict but as a timely reflection on living in a region constantly in turmoil. Khosravi emphasizes that amid chaos, destruction, and enduring government overreach, beauty and self-empowerment can inspire a new outlook.
What Remains will be on display in New York until July 2. Discover more of the artist’s politically aware works on Instagram.
