WORKS
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Palm Trees in a Square, 2022
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Palm Trees in a Square, 2022
    Gouache on wasli paper
    50 x 70 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Palm Trees in a Square, 2022
    1,500.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Tree of Life, 2022
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Tree of Life, 2022
    Gouache and watercolour on arches paper 600gram
    150 x 100 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Tree of Life, 2022
    4,500.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled, 2022
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Untitled, 2022
    Gouache on wasli paper
    50 x 70 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled, 2022
    1,800.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled II, 2022
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Untitled II, 2022
    Gouache on wasli paper
    50 x 70 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled II, 2022
    1,800.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Breaking Free, 2021
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Breaking Free, 2021
    Gouache on wasli
    30 x 38 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Breaking Free, 2021
    600.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Pavement and Plants, 2021
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Pavement and Plants, 2021
    Gouache on wasli
    13 x 16.5 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Pavement and Plants, 2021
    800.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, The Pink House, 2021
    Maryam Baniasadi
    The Pink House, 2021
    Gouache on wasli
    13 x 16.5 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, The Pink House, 2021
    800.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled, 2021
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Untitled, 2021
    Gouache on wasli
    27 x 70 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled, 2021
    1,500.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Climbers and the Pillar, 2020
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Climbers and the Pillar, 2020
    Gouache on wasli
    20 x 12 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Climbers and the Pillar, 2020
    800.00
  • Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled, 2019
    Maryam Baniasadi
    Untitled, 2019
    Gouache on wasli
    30 x 37 x 3 cm
    Maryam Baniasadi, Untitled, 2019
    500.00
OVERVIEW
As an Iranian visual artist living and working in Lahore for the past 9 years, I keenly observe how natural and cultural connections unite and divide people at the same time. These connections, in my opinion, are distinguished by manmade borders.
In my paintings, I use elements from nature specially trees and manmade objects like red bricks to rationalise this relationship. I present these objects and nature as two elements that continue to exist parallel to each other as both evolve with one complimenting the other; to me the manmade object is like human ambition which is always trying to tame nature and create boundaries. This is evident in my work as I depict the importance of all that is green around us and the way it grows side by side with manmade objects.
The medium and techniques of miniature painting that I use to paint these subjects represent my personal style and changes that take place in the process of creating them. My emphasis remains to be on the process of change and on human desire, which has no limits.
BIO

Born 1993 in Tehran, Iran

Lives and works between Tehran and Lahore

 

EDUCATION 

2017   MA (hons.) Visual arts, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan 

2016   BFA Miniature painting, National College of Arts, Lahore, Pakistan 

2011   One-year diploma in drawing, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022   Mohammad Siyah-Qalam award featured artists, Hengam Gallery, Mashad, Iran

           Mohammad Siyah-Qalam award, Azad Gallery, Tehran, Iran

2020   In the realm of metamorphosis, solo show, Azad Gallery, Tehran, Iran

2019   Beyond the end, Solo show, Taseer Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023   Potpourri, Koel Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

2022   XHOMA a nostalgic glimpse,Homa Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

           Dual genesis, Chawkandi Art Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

2021   Bad-e-Saba, Dastangoi residency, Islamabad, Pakistan

           Summerscape, Koel Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

           Shabtab (9), Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

2020   One by one, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

2019   Miniaturi, On contemporary miniature painting of Iran, Maan projects and Azad Gallery, Hamedan, Iran.

           Spaces in time-contemporary miniature painting from Pakistan, Canvas Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

           Art Quake, summer art school group show, Kulturni center “Nikola Durkovic”, Kotor, Montenegro

           Small is beautiful, Koel gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

           Teer art fair, Pieces of Iranian contemporary miniature, Azad Gallery, Tehran, Iran

           Forty \ Fifty \ Sixty, Pieces of Iranian contemporary art, Azad Gallery, Tehran, Iran

          1st annual exhibition of visual arts ARTP 2019, Farmanfarma Gallery, Tehran, Iran

          Spaces in time- contemporary miniature painting from Pakistan, Rietberg museum, Zürich,  Switzerland.

          Future of tradition, Gallery FLU, Belgrade, Serbia

          1X1, 55 contemporary artists across Pakistan, Islamabad & Karachi, Pakistan

2018  The future of tradition, The tradition of the future, Group show, Cultural Center of

          Leskovac, Leskovac, Serbia

2017  Annual Degree show of Batch 2016/17, MA (hons.) Visual Arts, Lahore, Pakistan

          Postcardese”, Aknoon Art Gallery, Isfahan, Iran.

          Explore, Dream, Discover, Sanat Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan.

          “Postcardese”, Haan Art Gallery, Shiraz, Iran

          “Postcardese”, Azad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran

          Immediacy,  Haan Art Gallery, Shiraz, Iran

          Group show at the residence of Dutch Ambassador Jeannette Seppen, My Art World Gallery, Islamabad, Pakistan.

          Participated in “Lines in the sand, contemporary art from Pakistan”, Imago

          Mundi, Venice biennale, Venice, Italy

2016  A present in Duality, Azad Gallery, Tehran, Iran

          Collective renditions, Satrang Art Gallery Serena hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan.

          Agogic Accent, Sanat Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan

          BECOMING 1-day group show at Paint bucket Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan

          Annual Fine Arts Thesis display of National college of Arts Lahore, Pakistan

2014  April Annual Young Artists Exhibition in Alhamra Art council Lahore, Pakistan

 

AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES

2021   Selected for the first Dastaangoi Artist Residency program, Islamabad, Pakistan

2019   Granted a scholarship at Kunstlerstadt Kalbe for 7th International summer campus From 26th August to 8th September,

           Kalbe, Germany.

           Granted place for Summer art school of university of arts Belgrade, 1-week

           workshop, ArtQuake, Kotor, Montenegro

2018   Granted scholarship for Summer Art School of University of Arts Belgrade, 1-           

           week workshop, New Past-Genius Loci Vucje, Leskovac, Serbia

INTERVIEW
Tell us about yourself. What is your background and where did you grow up? How have your life experiences shaped your work?
I was born in Brazil in 1993, grew up in Iran, India and Pakistan with my Iranian family so home was where my family was. I lived in different places due to nature of my fathers’ job. Pakistan was the destination where I’ve been living since 2012 till now.
Moving to Pakistan from Iran was a very difficult decision for me and I wasn’t very happy about it. During my first visit to Lahore, I visited National college of arts, the moment I walked in there I loved the campuses old building and the Mughal architecture. I knew I will be studying there.
In my work I’m very inspired from red brick walls this was the wall I would see all around the city and specially NCA building all these years. I depicted the campus in my bachelor’s thesis work, the contemporary life in a traditional miniature style. I think where I am now wouldn’t be the same if I had not move to Pakistan.
 
Why did you become an artist and what has been your journey up to this point?
I always wanted to be a painter, except that Iranian parents want their children to be a doctor or engineer, so I didn’t study arts in my high school. I resisted a lot and tried to convince my parents to let me study art, they were finally convinced after we moved to Pakistan. While I was studying miniature painting in Lahore, in summer holidays I would go to Iran and take classes of miniature painting. This really shaped my skills and concepts traveling between the two countries. I love travelling, wherever I go I get inspired with new ideas.

 

What is an average day in your studio like and what is your routine?
Every day after my morning coffee I go upstairs to my studio to play some music, write down my plans, do few sketches and start painting.
I usually spend 5 hours in my studio it’s my safe place at home, I have a beautiful view of trees. I approximately spend 2-3 productive hours a day to paint in my studio.

 

What is your creative process?
I love observing my surroundings, especially now that my work is inspired from nature and manmade objects, I see that everywhere, the rich green colour of Lahore and warm sienna bricks. Even when I’m driving, I stop to take a quick picture of what I like and when I get home, I sketch my ideas. After few sketches I transfer the final sketch to the paper. the creative process in my work is the idea first and then the subject.
 
How do you choose a medium for your work? Do you prepare and plan or do you improvise and experiment?
In my opinion medium should be what you are comfortable with. After experimenting with different mediums, I chose miniature painting technique which is gouache and watercolour on archival paper.
The details I can give with a thin squirrel hair brush, the gouache layer I apply to build the painting slowly and by rendering it with watercolours I give the details.
I usually plan but quick-thinking plan and then I sketch the idea on paper, and directly draw on my paper with pencil. After that I do the line work with water colour, I remove the pencil after I do the line work.
If I don’t like the way it is painted, I just wash the gouache and apply another layer. The process of miniature is step by step and you have to follow the steps. I like the discipline the miniature painting has, to me it gives a freedom because when I’m doing the first step, I’m already thinking about the changes I can give in the next layer.
 
Are your works conveying a message? Is there a narrative or a story to your work?
Yes, in my recent body of work I am very inspired by nature and manmade objects. In my compositions I paint both trees and objects together one is the man’s creation and the other is natures.
How man trims nature and places trees in specific settings for his own desire. However, most of the time nature is overpowering man’s object. The single trees which I painted each of them has an identity like a person. some has been trimmed or shaped like how humans are shaped by society to become better, but the tree constantly grows regardless of the hindrance.
 
Who and what are some of your greatest influences in both your life and as an artist?
The best influence on my work was that I could get my training from Iranian masters in Tehran during summer and apply that technique in Pakistan, I believe conceptually my teachers in Pakistan really assisted and technique wise I combined what I learned in Iran and Pakistan to create my own style of painting.
 
Do you consider your work of art a creation or a discovery?
It is a creation, what I paint is something completely new. you don’t see the flat trees in the nature nor the 2d rendererd bricks I look at nature and create my own perspective my own creation. It is the process of change.
Trees are natures creation; bricks are humans’ creation and paintings are my creation.
EXHIBITIONS
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