SARAI Gallery is pleased to present "Scarlet Red", a solo exhibition showcasing the latest works by the talented Sadaf Seyed. This show marks the artist's second solo presentation with SARAI Gallery, offering a more in-depth exploration of her unique artistic vision. The exhibition opens on September 27th and continues through October 18th, 2024, at SARAI-Tehran.
Sadaf Seyed's artistic journey began with a fascination for light and shadow, which she initially depicted figuratively. Over time, she gradually simplified these representations, moving towards minimalist abstraction. In addition to light and shadow, she has always drawn inspiration from Iranian architecture and miniature painting. Through these influences, she has developed a unique visual expression characterized by geometric shapes and a limited color palette through which she explores various themes.
In her previous series, "Titanium White", the artist explored the themes of hope and the pervasive sense of loss and alienation in contemporary humanity. She portrayed a nearly lightless universe with dark, twisting cubic architecture discernible only through narrow rays of light refracted from various surfaces. In her new series, Scarlet Red, while it is not formally distinct from her earlier works, she has delved deeper into traditional Iranian painting, exploring its themes, as well as its visual language and structure.
Sadaf Seyed's works in "Scarlet Red" reinterpret the concept of love portrayed in traditional Iranian painting, juxtaposing it with contemporary understandings. Inspired by specific miniatures, each artwork provides a starting point for comprehending her reimagining. While maintaining the recognizable structure of these paintings, she deconstructs their form and underlying concepts. Departed from the vibrant colors and vitality of traditional Iranian painting, her spaces are shrouded in darkness and to subvert the traditional depiction of women as beloved and manifestations of divine light placed within a mihrab, she replaces them with scarlet red associated with desire, passion, pain, and suffering, reflecting a more worldly perception of love.
Through her bold use of color, intricate geometric forms, and evocative imagery, Sadaf Seyed offers a visually stunning and intellectually stimulating experience and invites viewers to contemplate the complexities of love and desire in the contemporary world.
