Artist statement:

In this work, I push the melodrama of cacophonic pattern. The scale and dizzying pattern, plus the

variated surface, create a heightened visceral impact that is best appreciated from a distance in a large

space. The figures are inspired by Iranians on the packed dance floors in the parties organized by my

parents for the growing Iranian diaspora in the NY area in the 1980s and 1990s. It is a tribute to the

flamboyant humanity of Iranians –completely at odds with politicized imagery of Iranians in the news and

in the art world in the 1990s and early 2000s. It is also a tribute to the enduring, rich traditions of ornate

art from Iran. The rhythmic patterns in my painting literally emanate from the exuberant and instinctively

rhythmic figures. The gold necklace of the shoulder-shaking male mustachioed figure on the right says

"Habibi" (which means “friend” in Arabic and the name of a gay Arab disco night that started in NY after

September 11).

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