Within Khosravi’s unique visual landscape, the influence of her native culture is omnipresent. Sprinkled throughout are motifs reminiscent of decorative Persian carpets, and symbolic emblems such as the pomegranate, which is considered to represent the original forbidden fruit, yet is also a sign of fertility, light, and goodness. Naturally, there are dense political metaphors which reference both centuries-old and contemporary issues. Jarring missiles, white flags and even renditions of classic Persian war-scene paintings all make their appearances. Through all this we are witness to a debate occurring between her modern subjects and all that represents traditional attitudes which may, in due time, ultimately lead to positive transformation. For instance, several of her paintings show female characters interacting with ancient sculptures. Busts are shown from a less-than-superior vantage point, either cracked or dismantled, yet cling to their waning victims by a stubborn thread. Despite this irksome attachment, the women are undoubtedly the teachers in these scenarios, conveying truths that should no longer be avoided. Yet, teaching an old dog new tricks is never an easy task, therefor the theme of patience and tolerance also recurs throughout these works. Like any successful narrative, it is this dramatic dynamic—of good and evil, tension and release, which makes for such effective visual storytelling. We find ourselves asking what will happen next, and who will be the victor in these battles.
Born and raised in Iran through most of her life, Khosravi has been living as a professional creative since graduating from high school, although it didn’t exactly begin with painting. Throughout her teens she had originally planned to go on to study mathematics. Yet as tends to happen with genuine artists at one point or another, that creative urge came knocking and she decided to switch to something more aesthetically fulfilling. Not yet committed to the financially unpredictable world of fine art, she opted for a more practical approach—for ten years graphic design helped get her feet wet with visual discipline, while also paying for grad school. It wasn’t until 2015, upon moving to the U.S., that she was able to dive into painting full-scale, and hasn’t looked back since. This self-reflective career shift has proven to be rewarding.
“When I was a graphic designer and worked in an ad agency, I interacted with different people on a daily basis. But now as a painter, I am spending most of my time alone in the studio. It is actually something I don’t find annoying at all. Because when I am in my studio painting, I feel like I am in the best place I could possibly be and doing the thing I enjoy the most,” she says.
I BELIEVE AS AN ARTIST I RAISE QUESTIONS, WHILE ACTIVISTS SEEK OUT ANSWERS.”
One thing immediately apparent in Khosravi’s work is the immaculate detail and carefully constructed, near-geometric compositions, which echo her early fascination with mathematics and training in graphic design. Another element that specifically influences her style are Persian miniatures, which are meticulous paintings on paper, often featuring allegorical figures within decorative backdrops. In such works there is also an overarching usage of architecture, which serves as both a narrative and compositional trait. This characteristic, coupled with the fact that Khosravi’s father was himself an architect, undoubtedly plays a big role in the way that she creates her own compositions. In her version, she uses different sized wood panels to render various planes of perspective.
Khosravi had been playing with 3D elements for some time, but it wasn’t until the isolating onset of the pandemic that she began to envision her painting more like sculptures. With the extra time and mental space to unabashedly explore new methods and formats, she began incorporating multiple panels and found objects into her already multi-dimensional work. This was a daring move for her at the time, given very little feedback from her peers and having to rely solely on personal instinct. It turned out to be a good call, as she has developed a style so distinctly her own.
“I always build my own panels. I learned how to work with wood in graduate school. We had a woodshop in our campus and in order to have access to it, we had to pass a one-day workshop so we could learn how to work with each tool. That was my first introduction to power tools. There was a very friendly technical assistant in the woodshop who was always willing to help. S, gradually over the course of the two years I was in school, he taught me how to build different panels. Later on, I expanded my woodworking skills by watching online tutorials.”
…WHEN I AM IN MY STUDIO PAINTING, I FEEL LIKE I AM IN THE BEST PLACE I COULD POSSIBLY BE AND DOING THE THING I ENJOY THE MOST.”
It seems Khosravi has managed to master a whole gamut of skills, quite prolifically, in order to implement her unusual and meticulous constructions. As far as coming up with the figurative aspects, her process here is also fairly self-reliant. “I usually go through a lot of source materials I find online or in books. For the figures or portraits I have in my painting, I sometimes combine multiple photos from different sources, plus I like to add some features from my own imagination.”
Having honed a rhythm to her workflow over the last few years, Khosravi remains busy as ever and is always in search of new ways to challenge herself. Nowadays, she is currently plugging away on an upcoming solo exhibition at The Rose Art Museum in Waltham, Massachusetts, which opens next summer. She also just finished a series of paintings for a second solo exhibition at Stems Gallery in Brussels, which will open this fall.
Although her themes of hardship and empowerment remain consistent, the way Khosravi communicates this narrative undoubtedly twists and turns, depending on the orchestration of the mediums she harnesses, and her innovative flair for reflecting the emotional world around her.
