Gazing Through the City: Solo Show By Parham Peyvandi

SARAI (SARADIPOUR) Gallery is pleased to present "Gazing Through the City", Parham Peyvandi's first solo exhibition at our gallery. Coming from the enchanting landscapes of Mazandaran and having majored in urban design before opting for an MA in painting, Parham's (b. 1989) paintings mainly focus on the contradictions as well as the connections between the urban and natural environments. The present series consists of oil paintings on canvas depicting scenes from a lifeless, nondescript city made of bulky, grey cubic forms, sometimes inhabited by pale, lonely and alienated people. The city appears in full contrast to the deep blue sky above and vibrant, detailed, organic forms of nature outside of its walls. Parham's creative process begins by strolling around, sketching, and taking quick notes out in the real world. He then continues his work inside his studio, away from the urban context. Thanks to his method of adopting spatial and temporal distance from the objective world, soulless urban spaces blend well with imaginary elements which are shaped by his state of mind and the conditions of the society he lives in; some scenes are optimistic, suggesting a better place than his current reality, while at other times, they are miserable as if there is something menacing behind the silent city walls. While Parham's approach is critical - some of his work are vivid reminders of the isolation and despair universally felt through the pandemic - his touch is ultimately poetic and visually delightful.