01 Paintings Middle East Artists, Arghavan Khosravi's White Flag, with Footnotes #72

Arghavan Khosravi, Iranian, b. 1984

The White Flag, c. 2022

Acrylic on canvas mounted on shaped wood panels

76 × 94 × 9 in, 193 × 238.8 × 22.9 cm

Private collection

This painting by Arghavan Khosravi depicts a woman rising over the top of a mosque. The woman’s eyes are closed and her lips are sewn shut. On one end, the thread binding her mouth also runs through her ears, is tied to the architecture of the mosque, and then is tied to a skeleton key. On the other end, the thread is connected to an iron ball, which is then connected to additional threads running into each of the windows in the building, where blindfolded women are imprisoned. Atop one of the windows flies a white flag of surrender. In the courtyard of the mosque, a willow tree is burning. Inside the mosque, behind the iron ball, red lines are visible. For Khosravi, these red lines are symbolic of the restrictions that are imposed on people by autocratic systems. These red lines first appeared in past bodies of Khosravi’s work, and have gradually metamorphosed into the black lines she now mobilizes to indicate chains, bindings, and prison bars. 

Arghavan Khosravi subverts the flatness of Persian miniatures in her work, extending the image into three-dimensional space. By literally and symbolically tying contemporary women in post-revolutionary Iran to the aesthetic and cultural traditions of the ancient past, she is examining how values are transmitted and fostered through visual art, and literally broadening the narrative to create new spaces that welcome fresh points of view. More on this painting

Arghavan Khosravi weaves Persian motifs and Surrealist iconography into ghostly, enigmatic figurative paintings that thematize gender, censorship, and cultural transience. The Iranian-born artist holds two MFAs: one in illustration from the University of Tehran, and another in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Khosravi has exhibited in Tehran, New York, Milan, and Brussels, and her work belongs to multiple collections including the Newport Art Museum, the RISD Museum, and the Recharge Foundation. In her richly symbolic mixed-media work, which often features thread, Khosravi untangles the complex relationship between authoritarianism, prejudice, and restrictions for women across cultural milieu. More on Arghavan Khosravi

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.