Opening Reception and Artist Talk: Persian Garden

West U resident and local artist Maryam Lavaf presents Persian Garden, featuring new paintings and sculptures opening Feb. 3 at Archway Gallery. Meet Maryam at the opening reception and learn how she draws upon nature's essence as the inspiration for this new show, her third solo exhibition at the gallery. The opening reception is Saturday, February 3, from 5-8 p.m. with the artist talk at 6:30 p.m.

Born in Iran, Maryam moved to the US in 2004 and has been with Archway Gallery since 2015. Inspired by the Persian garden that for generations has been a landscape garden designed individually and created intentionally as a space embedded in the aesthetic and spiritual context of its past, as well as its contemporary, cultural, political, and social environment. These gardens typically feature streams, pathways, ponds, fountains, and usually a central pavilion. The beauty of these gardens with their surrounding walls deeply impressed writers who often mentioned their resemblance to Paradise on Earth when referencing Persian gardens in ancient manuscripts.

Lavaf takes her inspiration from these beautiful gardens. In this current show, the artist symbolically creates an abstracted conception of nature encouraging viewers to connect while feeling the sense of nature within themselves. Lavaf believes that the beauty and majesty of nature is a natural healer and that each of us can tap into this resource.

Find more information at archwaygallery.com.