Iranian artist Arghavan Khosravi dares to break through gendered restrictions in her architectural portraits. Fusing Persian aesthetics with Christian symbolism, Khosravi’s work invites viewers into conversations about freedom and control.

Her latest exhibition, What Remains, now open at Uffner & Liu, showcases pieces where figures are often constrained by domestic objects and space, symbolizing the ongoing struggle for women's rights. Through intricate details like hinged shutters and obscured visages, Khosravi captures moments of tension.

Despite being in progress before recent geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran, these works resonate as a timely reminder of life in a perpetually crisis-stricken region. Each large-scale painting, such as Bearing, tells a story of support amidst adversity, highlighting beauty and empowerment even in chaos.

Living and working in Stamford, Connecticut, Khosravi’s homesickness for a changed Iran is palpable through her art. Her politically attuned pieces remind us that while destruction looms, there is still potential for new paradigms of beauty and self-empowerment.