SARAI GALLERY'S YEAR IN REVIEW / 2023

SARAI Gallery wishes you a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year 2024. We are excited to journey with you through quality art, cherished connections, and meaningful experiences this year.

Since its establishment, SARAI Gallery has made it its mission to discover new talents from the Middle East, particularly Iran, and introduce their works on an international scale. Now, in the sixth year of our activity, we find ourselves closer than ever before to achieving this goal.

The year 2023 proved to be a fruitful one for the gallery. At the local level, we provided new artists with the opportunity to have their first solo shows with us. Our gallery artists also showcased their latest series, and through the KHOR 2023 Artists Exhibition, artists from all over Iran had the chance to display their works in the capital. Additionally, we launched the inaugural show of Pasitigris Projects, which highlights artists influenced by the culture of the southern regions.

Internationally, SARAI Gallery had successful presentations at seven top-tier art fairs, displaying the works of emerging and established Middle Eastern artists.

 

Here is a look back at SARAI Gallery's programs during 2023:

 

SARAI began 2023 on a high note with the successful show Cries and Whispers by Pakistani-born artist Zaam Arif at Cromwell Place in London. The exhibition was part of Karavan Projects, which offers SARAI Gallery artists the chance to display their works in partnership with prestigious galleries in Iran and around the globe. Furthermore, another exciting Karavan Projects exhibition, Walking Through the Darkness, took place in Tehran in collaboration with Nian Gallery, showcasing the works of renowned Iranian artist Ali Zakari.

Mid-career artists Mohammad Khalili and Mehdi Chitsazha, along with young female artist Ayda Roozbayani, had their first solo collaborations with the gallery. Additionally, the gallery hosted the inaugural solo show of young and emerging Iranian artist Sadaf Seyed at SARAI's main space in Mahshahr. Gallery artists Abbas Nasle Shamloo and Parham Peyvandi also showcased their latest artistic endeavors in new solo exhibitions.

 

Middle East

SARAI Gallery participated in Art Dubai for the third time in 2023, presenting a selection of paintings by the young Iranian artist M. Smart in the Bawwaba section of the fair. SARAI also made its third appearance at Abu Dhabi Art with a group show.

 

USA

Following the gallery's successful shows in 2021 and 2022, SARAI participated in The Armory Show in New York for the third time, showcasing a solo presentation of Abbas Nasle Shamloo's enigmatic landscapes. Furthermore, we had our debut show at EXPO CHICAGO, featuring a collection of paintings from Moslem Khezri's In Between series. Lastly, in December, SARAI made a triumphant return to Untitled Art Miami Beach, where we presented a highly attended group show on the stunning Miami beach.

 

Europe and East Asia

SARAI had a limited presence in Europe, specifically at the 30th edition of Art Brussels. This event marked the introduction of a selection of paintings by Iranian female artist Shiva Noroozi to European audiences for the first time.

As in recent years, we continued to be one of the few representatives of Middle Eastern art in East Asia. SARAI participated in Taipei Dangdai 2023 with a solo show featuring the works of the young and talented artist Parham Peyvandi.

 

The fourth KHOR Art Initiative was held this year, and the first place was awarded to Faezeh Zandieh, a young Iranian female artist based in France. Organized annually by SARAI Gallery since 2020, the KHOR Art Initiative is an art prize for local talents that is reviewed each year by a jury panel of esteemed regional and international art experts. The jury panel for the latest edition of the KHOR Art Initiative consisted of Roxane Zand, Nada Shabout, Melissa Gronlund, and Myrna Ayad. This year, the KHOR Art Initiative group show was held in Tehran for the first time, in collaboration with Zamineh Platform.

KHOR 2023 marked the final annual event, and the KHOR Art Initiative will now become a biennial event, with the next and 5th Khor scheduled to return in 2025.

 

Regarding the origin of SARAI gallery in southern Iran, Pasitigris Projects aims to collaborate with artists who either hail from the region or whose works reflect the life, art, and culture of this historically significant region of the South whose geography encompasses and extends beyond the Persian Plateau.

The debut exhibition of Pasitigris Projects was dedicated to the works of young artist Sadegh Khalife. Through his paintings and works on paper, Khalife explores the impact and environmental harm caused by the discovery and extraction of oil in the southern regions of Iran.

 

SARAI Gallery's 2024 outlook includes a range of exciting exhibitions at both its main space in Mahshahr and its new branch in Tehran. Furthermore, we aim to boost the global recognition of Middle Eastern art by expanding our international presence. This will involve participating in new art fairs and collaborating on joint events with renowned international galleries.