Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi balances pattern with painterly abstraction
By Kriston Capps, The Washington Post
December 13, 2023
Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi might be two painters.
One is the hand behind the gorgeous tazhib: intricate patterns of illumination borrowed from Islamic art forms. In her paintings, Ilchi designs floral and lattice motifs based on Persian crafts, drawing on her experience growing up in Tehran.
The other painter is experimental: an abstract-oriented artist looking at new ways to build up surfaces. This painter produces clouds and stains in a toxic palette, making bold textured works that look almost hazardous to the touch.
On Ilchi’s surfaces, violent abstraction and delicate illumination jockey for significance. Her perfectly hyphenated paintings take the form of surreal landscapes. The stars in her skies peek through arabesque ornamentation. The mountains on her horizons rise over luminous veils.
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Ongoing: We are forever folding into the night at HEMPHILL
Anupma Sahay for the Washington CityPaper
November 16th, 2023
Artist Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi investigates invasion and equilibrium, weaving harmony through tension, nature in celestial experiences, and dreams into reality in her newest exhibition on display at HEMPHILL. Ilchi’s paintings merge seemingly contrasting spaces as a commentary on sociopolitical landscapes, drawing inspiration from her own Iranian American heritage.