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Mitra Kavian’s paintings challenge our preconceived categories of
‘fact’ and ‘fiction’. She represents the dilemmas and paradoxes of
our public and private lives in a ‘fairytale’ framework. Kavian’s
aim is to unsettle explanations and theories that attempt to reduce
modern male and female experiences to simple stereotypes and
unambiguous definitions.
In the setting of a dream, Kavian is able to capture a sphere of
existence where objects are unrestricted and can manifest the most
intimate aspects of our lives. She manipulates and mixes symbols
representing folklore, scripture, childhood memories, lost love,
diminished love and love still yearning. There is a strong
‘trans-realist’ or ‘magical realist’ influence in Kavian’s work
which attempts to transport the spectator to a place where logical
correlation between objects cease to exist and emotional affinities
authorize the diverse arrangements. She depicts real and imaginative
characters according to peculiar rules of inclusion and exclusion.
Kavian’s art reveals the artificial nature of our own boundaries and
roles and leaves us questioning the conventional distinctions
between fact and fiction.
Omid Tofighian |