"Touching by Razieh Jafari" Now on View
in Claire Davidson Siegel Gallery
On view in the Claire Davidson Siegel Gallery is Touching, a solo exhibit featuring the artwork of Razieh Jafari. In her work, Razieh blends traditional Iranian painting with contemporary Western art concepts. These works capture the uncertainties of reality through magical realism. John Cino, from the Patchogue Arts Council, curated the exhibit, which is part of their E Pluribus Unum summer festival.
About the Artwork
The works exhibited are selections from Razieh’s The Things That Touch Me series. The series brings together her past, personal experiences while commenting on the frailty of cultural heritage in times of hostility. Cino describes her work as “quiet and powerful,” stating “you are first drawn in by their delicacy [and] then faced with an uncomfortable reality.”
Razieh Jafari, Not Any More, 2017, Courtesy of Patchogue Arts Council
One work on display is the watercolor Not Any More. Here, a blue border frames the scene, which consists of several elephants immersed in a sea of stylized blue-green swirls. Three bombs, positioned in the lower section of the painting, suggest a sense of aggression against the peaceful animals. Overhead, Razieh depicts a two-tailed, red mythical creature that carries a pair of elephants out of danger – literally breaking the border of the image in the process. The bird resembles a simurgh, an Iranian mythological creature that possesses the strength to lift heavy animals. Simurghs purify the world and represent the sacred union between the sky and Earth. Razieh’s simurgh has plucked two elephants from their dangerous environment, carrying them away to safety.
About the Artist
Razieh Jafari is an Iranian painter and sculptor based in New York. She received a BA in Industrial Design from the University of Tehran, Iran and a MFA in Studio Art from Stony Brook University, NY. Initially a trained miniaturist, Razieh now blends contemporary concepts into her artwork, which examines the relationship between reality and imaginary through magical realism. Her artwork has been exhibited on Long Island and abroad with select exhibit at the Lawrence Alloway Gallery (Stony Brook, NY), Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery (Stony Brook, NY), and the Alexandria Public Library (Alexandria, Egypt).
About PAC
The Patchogue Arts Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to encouraging, supporting, and promoting the arts of the greater south bay of the Town of Brookhaven. E Pluribus Unum celebrates the concept of unity in diversity through the visual arts, music, film and more. E Pluribus Unum will be celebrated throughout the Patchogue Village from May to October 2018 in multiple exhibitions and events. For more information on the Patchogue Arts Council or E Pluribus Unum, visit patchoguearts.org.
Touching, featuring the work of Razieh Jafari, is on view in the Claire Davidson Siegel Gallery, from June 1 – 30. A special reception and artist talk will be held in Meeting Rooms A & B on Tuesday, June 12, from 7:30 – 8:30 PM. All are welcome to attend.
Razieh Jafari, Touching, 2017, Courtesy of Patchogue Arts Council