The trees of Abolghasem Saidi, abundant in colour and light, distinguish his work from that of other nature-oriented painters. He creates an independent poetic world, perhaps rooted in nostalgia, yet overflowing with life—as though no autumn could ever harm it.
The sculpture Maturity in the intellectual universe of Masoud Akhavan Jam is a sculpture about becoming. In this work, the human being is not a fixed entity, but someone who is constantly redefining themselves along the journey of life, shaped by time, experience, physical changes, and inner transformation. And that small arrow beside the head may be the simplest, yet most significant, sentence of the work: “Life goes on.”
Taha Behbahani’s works invite viewers to contemplate concepts such as creation, spiritual journey, the mystery of existence, and the relationship between human beings, themselves, and the world. Through floating lines, carefully measured negative spaces, and a musical rhythm, his sculptures embody not only physical form, but also energy and movement. Taha’s work has succeeded in connecting the mystical vision and aesthetic traditions of Iran with a contemporary, universal language.
In this work, Mohammad Ehsai simultaneously evokes Islamic architecture, Persian geometry, Eastern mysticism, and modern abstract art. Love appears as an all-encompassing force, and its rotation in four directions may allude to the four cardinal points of the world, the four elements of nature, the four seasons, or even the omnipresence of love throughout existence.
This miniature painting is a distinguished example of a thoughtful synthesis between the tradition of Iranian miniature painting and contemporary sensibilities and interpretations. The work neither remains confined to a mere imitation of the past nor becomes detached from its cultural and identity-based roots; rather, through a redefinition of visual language, meaning, and form, it achieves a narrative that belongs firmly to the present.
Omar El-Nagdi’s painting La Pharaonne forms a bridge between Pharaonic mythology, contemporary reality, and the shared global concerns of humanity. One of the most compelling ironies in this master painter’s approach is his deliberate choice of the title La Pharaonne—“The Pharaoh’s Lady”—instead of the Pharaoh himself. This choice offers a subtle yet pointed critique of the patriarchal narratives of official history, while foregrounding the fundamental role of women in the continuity of…
Mohammadreza Ebrahimi, the well-known musician, has composed an original piece of music for Iran, the Endless Poem by Bita Vakili, an artwork held in the Raha Gallery Collection. In addition, Ebrahimi has written a song specifically for this painting and has personally performed it.
This painting by the late master Faramarz Pilaram is a rare example of the fusion of script, color, rhythm, texture, and ritual in modern Iranian art. It demonstrates how Pilaram transformed the language of calligraphy into a painterly one—a language neither textual nor purely abstract, but one that preserves Iran’s cultural memory within the framework of modernism.
The fusion of the Abu Dhabi mosque (tradition) with the towers (modernity) re-creates a visual discourse of Emirati identity—an identity rising from the earth and reaching toward the sky. Bita Vakili’s painting, housed in the Raha Gallery Middle East Collection, illustrates that today’s UAE is the result of the coexistence of tradition and technology, faith and development, Islamic architecture and global innovation—a nation looking toward the future while never forgetting its roots. Beyond…
On the occasion of the 88th birthday of Master Ali Akbar Sadeghi, we revisit one of his magnificent triptychs, preserved today in the Raha Gallery Middle East Collection. This dazzling three-panel painting is not merely a banquet scene; it is a distilled vision of Sadeghi’s reflections on humanity, history, and social rituals. In Sadeghi’s world, celebration is always intertwined with a profound question: Is this a feast of being—or a feast of pretending? It is this very duality that…
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