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Hayv Kahraman  Phoenix, AZ


* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.


About Hayv


The figures in my work reside in a precarious state of terrifying contingency. Things are happening; will happen; have happened; things that will lacerate when spoken about and are considered taboo or too harsh to deal with let alone witness; nonetheless an aura of sublimity is cast upon the figures, enriching them with an ornate divinity achieved by simple yet meticulously calculated brush strokes. This dichotomy or battle of the opposites encompasses the human condition as a whole and exposes our universal values together with our detestable errors.

Evoking concepts of socially coded modes of thought and behavior, gender based issues, dynamics found in diasporic cultures of the middle east, and war are the essence of my visual language and the product of my experience as an Iraqi immigrant. I am a hybrid of east and west in today”s growing global multiculturalism, the conditions of which are not dissimilar to those that gave birth to the golden age of Islamic thought and culture and paved the way to a refined state of sensory appreciation. Both aesthetically and conceptually the fusion of cultures are intrinsic to my work. Using the visual language of Bizhad, Islamic ornament, the Italian Renaissance, and Nihonga, I convey subversive figurative narratives that reflect societal concerns and defy doctrinal behavioural patterns.


Recommended by our guest curators


Patrick Earl Hammie

Chicago, IL artist

"I encountered Kahraman’s work recently in New York, were she divided the gallery space leaving a window in a screen through which to view her paintings. Her works recall the interior lives and perspectives of women who navigate gendered divisions, whose bodies are managed by others but privy to information."

Elisa Carmichael

Editor, tasj magazine

"I have always had a deep appreciation for art that is able to retain aesthetic simplicity whilst expressing complex issues, themes and emotions, so it's not really surprising that I connect to Hayv's work as much as I do. I think the timeless elegance that marks her style and the important messages contained within each piece will play significant roles in the advancement of her career. I was very happy to stumble across some pieces in the booth of The Third Line, her Dubai gallery, at the Independent this March."


Hayv appears in the following Top 10 lists


'2010'


10 of 17 reactions displayed


"Really beautiful!!"

"Delicate, purposeful, engaging, beauty. First is youthful and earthy and the next mature while serene. Peacful leavings here.Shea"

"i beleive the true test of a talented individual is when he or she can influence a favoable opinion from someone normaly disinterested in art"

"Such talent must be a divine gift. I hope the arist uses it wisely."

"Exquisite! Except for the modeling of the faces, they remind me of ancient Chinese and Japanese watercolor and ink paintings. My favorites."

"Very impressive! The fantastic textures of the fabric, the eloquent liness of the women---BEAUTIFUL!!! Thank you!"

"I love this artwork! Wonderful patterns and shapes. Really wonderful!"

"These paintings are gorgeous! The flow of shapes and lines that come together are put together in a way. And I love the focal points of the paintings (green tapestry and orange outfit in #2)"

"and a plate of pomegranates! wonderful textiles too! lovely."

"these are gorgeous. i especially like that the linearity of the design is so strong it allows the images to completely transcend their medium. they might be anything from oil paintings, to quilted textiles and it doesn't matter.nice!"


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