Anahita Rezvani-Rad
Born in 1978, Tehran, Iran.
Lives and works in London/ Vienna
About
When Anahita Rezvani first arrived in England in 2004 her work reflected strongly, indeed violently her reaction to “Being Here” and the oppression that she had left behind, which her fellow Iranians continued to suffer. The situation in Iran has changed little and those aspects of oppression that featured in her early work here in London, remain firmly part of her current practice. Her paintings are challenging and not made for easy viewing, and although the work reflects the situation in Iran its ambit addresses a much wider canvas of oppression throughout the world and to some extent particularly that of women.
Over time the influences on her paintings have altered and now their language and colour reflect Western Old Master paintings coupled with the gold and the rich lapis lazuli blue that are such a feature of both Persian architecture and historical formal art. Cleverly the paintings are subverted in a manner that derives something from the paintings of Goya and Manet, also of surrealism in the manner of Paul Delvaux, and the work of Chagall with his flying figures. Rezvani combines both imaginative and found images, the subject matter of which is usually blocked or censored in Iran. Their force is palpable.
There is no easy division of the work into categories or influences and only the age-old task of looking will reveal what is there. The smaller paintings tend to deal very directly with the macho absurdities of the authorities in Iran often reflecting their brutality. The bigger paintings such as the one featuring a plane crash speak of a broken nation, broken progress; the survivors of which wander aimlessly about the depicted scene. Erotic images derived from c19 magazines that show an imagined view of half naked sexually active members of a harem are contrasted with images of marching soldiers. These contradictory images of Iran, one superficial, the other contemporary, reflect neither the reality of its people nor their lives. The large Triptych of the public hanging from a crane of a woman in red, with its hints of stigmata, infers a modern crucifixion of a woman taken in adultery. This is a universal image for women oppressed and killed for their gender or sexual activity throughout the world and not just for the oppressed women of Iran.
The paintings display vitality, imagination, and strength and are direct and uncompromising – they display courage to pose difficult questions, to stand up and speak up, even if it is uncomfortable to do so. The world needs more of this.
Brendan Finucane QC
Biography
Anahita Rezvani-Rad
Critically acclaimed artist working primarily in painting and regularly exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions. Studied at the Courtauld and Chelsea College of Art and University of applied arts Vienna (de Angewandte). She has worked as a studio assistant to Bill Woodrow RA for more than a decade.
PhD Candidate: at de Angewandte Wien. Examining the role of painting in shaping and archiving collective memory via artistic research.
Twice selected for: The Best of London’s Emerging Artists. Curated by Kay Saatchi. London.
Twice selected to exhibit at the drawing Biennale and the fundraising Auction.
Artist in residence at the Association “Les Ateliers du Plessix-Madeuc” France.
Artist in residence at the printmaking lab at the Montefiore Conca Italy.
Visiting speaker at the Wimbledon college of art London.
Guest speaker at the Academician’s room at Royal Academy of Arts London.
Guest speaker at The Arts Club London on How the Art World stands in solidarity with Iran, Feb 2023.
Speaker at the Why remember conference Sarajevo 2019; Border poetics and politics.
Speaker at the Why remember conference Sarajevo 2022; Tracing the past,
Speaker at the research week 2020 de Angewandte Vienna.
Speaker at the Tate Podcast series on the art of protest.
Speaker at the Tate Podcast series on the art of belonging.
Shortlisted for: DLA Piper Award. Sarah Myerscough Fine Art. London. One of six shortlisted.
Selected for: The most promising MA graduates of 2006. Nomoregrey Galley. London.
Selected exhibitions
2023, 19- 24th June, ( Refugees week). Say Their Names Art Project, Sprouts Art Galley, London.
2023, 17th June. Say Their Names Art Project, Pimlico Academy, London.
2023, 4-18th April. Say Their Names Art Project, Stanley Picker Gallery, London.
2023, Jan. Say Their Names interactive art performance, Liverpool Cenotaph.
2023, Jan. Say Their Names interactive art performance, Iklectick art Lab London.
2022, Dec. Say Their Names interactive art performance, Piccadilly Circus, London.
2022, Dec. Say Their Names interactive art performance, outside Tate Modern London.
2022 June, Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts London.
2022, I celebrate Myself II, Lambeth County Court London. (Group)
2021, October. De Angewandte research week. Zentrum Fokus Forschung Wien. Austria
2019, Nov- Dec. Looking the other way. Sabine Wachters Gallery. Belgium. (Solo)
2019, Islington Art Factory Summer show. London. UK (Group)
2017 Drawing Biennale, Drawing Room, London (Group)
2016: June- July 2016. Sabine Wachters Fine Art. Belgium (Solo)
2015 Drawing Biennial. Drawing Gallery. London. (Group)
2015 Upcoming. 23 Feb: Presentation of Artists Book: Javani. Royal Academicians Room. Royal Academy of Art. London
2014 Aug- Sep. new Paintings. Montefiore Conca. Rimini. Italy (Solo)
2013 March-April. There is Nothing New Under the Sun. Sabine Wachters. Belgium.( Solo)
2013 Sep. There is Nothing New Under the Sun. Independent.London. (Solo)
2013 April. Drawing Biennale. Drawing Room. London. (Group)
2012 Aug. train to Tehran. Opera Holland Park. Janet Rady Fine Art.(Group)
2011 Nov. Nowheresville. General Hardware Contemporary. Toronto. (Group)
2011 May. Hare Styling. Original Art raising Money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
2011 April. Spontaneous Structure. London. Whitechapel. (Group)
2011 Feb. Mind Your Step. Lullin+Ferari. Zurich. (Solo)
2010 October- November. Anticipation 3( Best of London’s Emerging Artists, curated by Kay Saatchi). London 2010 June. End of residency exhibition in Plessix Madeuc, Corseul. France (Group)
2009 May- June. DLA Piper Award. Sarah Myerscough Fine Art. London. One of six candidates.
2009 May. Drawing Biennale. Drawing Gallery. London. One work.
2009 May. Metro Land, Oxford Shire. Curated By Flora Fairbairn. One work in Merriss court Gallery. (group) 2008 Concrete and Glass, Curated by Flora Fairbairn in Town Hall.(Group)
2008- 09 Solo show – Asia House, London- Oct 2008- Mar 2009 .8 Large paintings in Fine Rooms(Solo)
2008 Anahita Rezvani-Rad: Painting, Lullin + Ferrari, Zurich, 30.8.-4.10.2008 (Solo)
2007 Broken Promises, Forbidden Dreams : Contemporary Iranian Art, Art London, 4.-8.10.2007 (Group)
Within & Without – an exhibition of works of emerging and contemporary Iranian artists currently living and working both in Iran and outside the country. Organised by Paraava, (Group)
Anticipation, best of London’s emerging artists, Group exhibition organized by Kay Saatchi, gallery 111, London (Group)
2006 Zenith ’06 – The most promising MA graduates of 2006 London Graduate students, Nomoregrey Galley in East End London (Group)
2004 Isfahan Museum of Contemporary Art (group)Group show for Bam, Iran house of artists, Tehran Group show of Iranian painters society in Imam Ali Museum, Tehran (Group)
2003 Painting Biennale, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. (Group)
2003 Contemporary drawing exhibition in Barg Gallery, Tehran. (Group)
2002 Firozeh Art Gallery (Solo)
2002 Drawing Biennale, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (Group)