Days of Bliss and Woe
The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT9)
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
Brisbane, Australia
2018
1900 sq-ft (175 sq-m), Acrylic and varnish on plywood and timber
Iman Raad combines local references such as Persian miniature painting, illuminated manuscripts, folk arts, Islamic architecture and with contemporary subject matter to create his mural-like installations. Using a vivid, high key palette, altered perspective, and repetition that mimics digital glitches, the result is a riot of colour and movement that is both seductive and unsettling. Traditionally ornamental elements such as birds, fruits and flowers are recalibrated into subjects that carry narrative import and are given animate, unnatural presences. These are intertwined with social events and historical moments rendered in fantastical ways to draw in the viewer.
Read more HERE about Days of Bliss and Woe and Garden Nights by Ellie Buttrose, Associate Curator, International Contemporary Art, QAGOMA.
Image courtesy QAGOMA and Iman Raad
Photos by Natasha Harth, C. Callistemon, and J. Rucki