The Radioactive Library
Kamyar Kafaie
Opening at Aaran Gallery on 15th April 2016

The chronical quality of elaborate paintings of Kamyar Kafaie covers diverse subjects. Infused with sly humor, they are reflections on our society past and present. By adapting a flamboyant and accessible aesthetic, he criticizes the behaviors of middle class of Iran. Some of the paintings have autobiographical references and some are commentaries on hypocrisies of the society.
Characters are developed in his sketch book and are transferred on to canvas and more often than not same characters appear in different paintings. Serious Environmental issues that the country faces are one of the traits in his paintings so are historical and current social events. In his Radioactive Library, every painting is a book that tells its own story. The narrative flow of these  intricate scenes is reminiscent of fabulous manuscript paintings of Persian art of book making.

The daily strains of life in Iran and undue pressures from the outside world is easily detectable in our  current art scene. Kamyar Kafaie prefers to turn away from the negativity and show other aspects of life in Iran. Like many Iranian artists and poets, he chooses the language of satire to deny darkness. He paints his surroundings and creates his own allegorical and alternative universe where he is allowed to push the boundaries.

Kamyar Kafaie was born in Tehran in  1979. He is a self-made artist who started drawing before he could read or write. Influenced by his father, who is an architect and a painter,  he chose art over a well established career in finance. He returned to Iran in 2011 to pursue his passion for arts. His first show was held in 0ct 2014 at Kargah Honar Gallery in Tehran. His recent works were shown in summer of 2015 at Aaran Projects.