“The Upside-down Scenery”

On Friday 4 February 2011, between 20.00 and 22.00, Kalfayan Galleries in Athens, Greece (11 Haritos St., Kolonaki) will present the first solo exhibition in Greece of works by the Iranian artist Ala Dehghan titled The Upside-down Scenery, curated by Vali Mahlouji . The artist lives and works in Tehran and Karaj.

The exhibition is a compilation of watercolors and mixed media works on paper that draw on the artist's experiences and the role of women in contemporary Iran. Her humorous yet caustic and colorful works are inhabited by a variety of fantasy figures that create a microcosm of metaphorical symbols and codes. As she states, her work is "related not only to the personal and political situation that I always display in my works from my memories, but it is poetic at the same time". Her paintings are reflections of her daily experiences, as they are filtered through her imagination and thoughts.

Working on a small scale, Dehghan also references the centuries old tradition of Persian miniature painting which draws the viewer close to the object and facilitates an intimate interaction with the imagery.

As the artist claims, she walks "with the umbrella of my paintings under the rays of madness".

She has been awarded the 2010 Magic of Persia Residency by the Delfina Foundation in London. Dehghan's work has been reviewed in Frieze, the New York Times and Wallpaper.

Ala Dehghan earned her MA degree at the University of Tehran and has participated in numerous exhibitions in Iran, France, the US, the UK, India, The United Arab Emirates and Austria.

Don't miss the first solo exhibition by the Iranian artist Ala Dehghan, The Upside-down Scenery, in Athens, Greece.