Roya Khadjavi Projects is pleased to showcase an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by multidisciplinary artist Zahra Nazari at High Line Nine Gallery 9.1 (507 W 27th St, New York, NY, 10001). Public opening reception will be held for the artist on May 1, 4–8 pm. The exhibition will be on view through May 15th.

Unification is an artistic project rooted in the formal blending of Persian and Western influences. It emerges from Zahra Nazari’s exploratory practice in painting and sculpture and her identity as an immigrant from Iran in the U.S.

In the paintings and works on paper, Nazari represents architectural forms with flowing, abstract lines. She derives inspiration from the spectacular 17th century monuments of the Safavid dynasty in Isfahan, such as the Shah Mosque, the Ali Qapu Palace, and its Music Room. Traces of Persian archways, niches, vaults, lattices, and the eight-pointed star are combined with fractured and deconstructed architectural shapes.

Nazari’s sculptures are a fusion of 17th century Persian monuments and Western and postmodern architecture. Built from stainless steel and displayed directly on the ground, the geometric patterns of the sculptures cast shadows and reflect lights onto the surrounding areas enabling a multidimensional experience. Nazari’s use of industrial material alludes to sculptors such as Anthony Caro and Robert Morris, who manipulate solid raw steel into lyrical, freeform shapes. Nazari’s deconstructionism additionally intimates the works of architects like Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry.