This is Hesam Rahmanian's first solo show at Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, following his participation in the collaborative exhibition 'I Put It There You Name It' in March 2012.

Rahmanian’s works reveal his own private universe; a fantastical matrix of life inhabited by animals, people and assorted functional objects such as bicycles, watering cans, umbrellas, and pliers. The inanimate objects’ roles along with those of the human and animal forms are visually displaced in Rahmanian’s realm, and yet the suggestion beyond that which is literally painted is of a return to earth, with the possibility of resuscitation. The encounters of unexpected realities from the artist’s personal obsessions on unfamiliar planes resonate with the Surrealist approach to creating new life.

The Dubai-based Iranian artist has had a number of solo and group exhibitions internationally. Most recently, he presented ‘I Put It There, You Name It’ in March 2012 with Ramin and Rokni Haerizadeh, and had solo shows at Paradise Row, London, and at Traffic, Dubai, as well as participating in a group show at the Royal College of Art, London as one of eight finalists for the MOP CAP 2011 prize. Alongside his painting, Rahmanian has received international recognition for his design projects, and featured work in Taschen’s 2009 publication ‘Design For Obama: Posters For Change’.

Image: © Hesam Rahmanian, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde