Welcome to the Party | The Doors Are Now Open | Art Exhibition by Elham Moaidnia in Dubai

March 15, 2016 - Elham Moaidnia's upcoming exhibition, "Welcome to the Party", which opened at Showcase Gallery at the start of Dubai Art Week and recognized as one of the Top Ten shows not to miss at Art Week Dubai (By National.ae) is a journey beginning with the history of traditional Iranian culture, and ending in the artist's present.

Moaidnia's symbolic paintings, made not only on canvases but on reclaimed Ras Al Khaimah doors and Iranian fabric, comprise a miscellany of folklore and personal experience in which fragments of traditional stories exist in parallel with visual anecdotes of the artist's life. She shows us her own interpretation of the social and political landscape of contemporary Iran, into which she weaves memories and traditions of its past. The show is a joyous feast of colour, portraying the generosity of Iranian people and enticing the viewers to bring their own stories into the milieu.

Elham leads you through the painted doors into her country and her life, bearing witness to a tapestry of traditional Iranian folklore, woven into her experience of, and emotional response to the present. Rather than depicting exactly what she sees, what she calls a "tragic reality," she shows us her history, her impressions, her memories, her hopes, her dreams.

The metaphor of the doorway has an exceptional significance within the socio-political context surrounding Moaidnia's exhibition. The doors of Iran have been opened, after a long period of their closure, hence the show's title, "Welcome to the Party. The Doors are Now Open." The underlying message is a poignant one: Visit Iran. Discover her people. Create your own story.

Within her process of making and discovery the images materialise with spontaneity and surprise, often not only for her viewers, but for herself as well.

Moaidnia is the host of this lavish party. Through ancient doors bearing fable and paint she asks you to enter and become her indulgent guest.

You're invited!

Date: 14th March 2016 – 14th May 2016
Location: Showcase gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, UAE
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