Current and Forthcoming
-
Alibaba Awrang
17 Jan - 22 Mar 2026 Artist Statement:
I am an artist who was trained in traditional Persian calligraphy - an ancient manuscript art meant to be read. This lies at the core of all my work. I love the graceful, elegant, fluid shapes of Nastaliq letters, often referred to as the “bride” of calligraphy.
While the poetic script is subtly embedded in my art, it is not meant to be read. My art is meant to offer the viewer an intimate connection with color, form, balance and harmony. It invites meditation and reflection. My art is informed by the beauty of nature and by my own life experiences. I wish the viewer to reflect on the feelings the works convey, as I attempt to communicate the common language of mankind.
My process resembles collage, ranging from four to eight layers in which the script and the forms are intertwined. My painting expresses experimentation and self-expression. I start with a letter, a form or a pattern without knowing where it will take me. I often get lost in the layers and am surprised by the final work.
Materials include traditional tools used to create contemporary expression - Japanese ink, acrylics, gold and silver leaf. These are applied with bamboo pens and brushes, to paper, canvas or wood. The bold black ink offers a link to traditional manuscript calligraphy - a link that anchors me while I explore the universe of emotions.
Exhibitions:
Wadsworth Atheneum, Museum of Art, Hartford, CT 2025
836M Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2025
Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT 2023
Judy Black Memorial, Park & Garden, Washington, CT 2022
Read more -
Art Hansen
Coming soon 23 Mar 2026 Art Hansen (1929–2017) was a celebrated American printmaker and painter who grew up on Vashon Island in Washington. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Washington in 1952 and later pursued an MFA at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1957. Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1953, he... Read more
