Lot 73: Roya Akhavan (Iranian, b. 1953)

Roya Akhavan (Iranian, b. 1953)
Untitled IX from the Nexus Series
signed and dated 'Roy Akhavan 2009' (on the reverse)
acrylic on linen
63¾ x 511/8in. (162 x 130cm.)
Painted in 2009

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Roya Akhavan's uses of arabesque and shifting geometric designs belie the complex imagery hidden therein. Battles which form the backdrops of Roya Akhavan's paintings are glimpsed through patterns of contrast, conflict and continuity. In Nexus Series she carries motifs from painting to painting throughout the series, maintaining certain elements and changing others. The scenes are timeless representations of uncertainly, of patterns that crystallize across Roya Akhavan's canvases. The dialogue between the disarray of battle and the order of these shapes offers a paradox between certainly and precariousness. Across this confrontation, interwoven through colour and shape, miniature figures march through the painting. Connectivity is a key theme in much of Akhavan's work, made explicit here by the serried rows of disembodied hearts conjoined by spiralling arabesques. Fixed, pensive and quiet, the figures make their way through this tangled web.