The upcoming exhibition After Midnight… at Fou Gallery, running from May 6 to July 16, 2023, promises to be a spectacular display of the artistic prowess of Helia Chitsazan (b. 1995), an Iranian artist who has recently graduated from the New York School of Visual Arts. This will be Chitsazan’s first solo exhibition, featuring a collection of her striking large-scale oil paintings and smaller canvases that have been produced over the past two years.

Born and raised in Tehran, Chitsazan earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the Art University of Tehran before pursuing a Master’s degree in Fine Arts in New York. As a female who grew up in a conservative society, she has cultivated a keen interest in observing how people interact with one another in their social and private lives. In Iran, certain personal pastimes and intimate behaviors, such as drinking, dancing, smoking, and holding hands, are considered illegal in public spaces, leading people to indulge in such activities only in the privacy of their homes. This duality of behavior, one that manifests itself in stark contrast between public and private settings, has inspired Chitsazan to create a body of work that candidly and emotionally depicts this paradoxical way of life.

Chitsazan’s artistry lies in her ability to capture intimate and sincere moments of life that are often hidden from the public eye. Many of her pieces are inspired by fond memories of her time spent with family in Tehran, and they feature vivid and thick colors that illuminate dimly lit indoor spaces. These spaces often house one or more figures who are caught in deep thought or active conversation. Viewers of her art can easily sense the tense energy that permeates her work, which is generated through the bold body language of her subjects, the unspoken thoughts that are hidden under their expressions, and the play of light and shadow that creates an aura of uncertainty. Chitsazan is an artist who defies classification; although her work displays traces of both Neoclassicism and Romanticism, her unique artistic style is characterized by a distinctly innovative  approach to spatial relationships, brushwork, and surface textures.

As a gallery housed in a historic brownstone building dating back to 1905, Fou Gallery’s exhibition space—which resembles a grand living room—provides the inspiring setting for Helia Chitsazan: After Midnight…, enabling her works to create a cohesive contextual narrative that is centered around the concept of “home.” This theme serves to emphasize the emotional weight that is inherent in the moments depicted in her art.

The exhibition is curated by Fou Gallery’s Artistic Director, Lynn Hai, and will feature a series of feminist-themed discussions and events of feminist perspective that are set to take place throughout the exhibition’s run.

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 6, 4–7 pm, 2023