PRESS RELEASE

Hamzianpur & Kia Gallery is thrilled to announce "One Night Only with Farzad Kohan," a special event on May 8th, 2023, featuring a selection of Kohan's works exploring migration, memory, and community. Kohan is an Iranian American artist based in Los Angeles, whose work has been exhibited internationally. His art is deeply rooted in his personal experience of migration, and his pieces often reflect the feelings of displacement, nostalgia, and cultural hybridity that come with leaving one's home and starting anew in a foreign land. The exhibition will feature Kohan's thought-provoking paintings and works on paper, inviting viewers to explore the complexity of the immigrant experience and the intersection of personal stories in shaping our collective history.

By painting over the pages of Javanan magazines, Kohan creates a powerful visual narrative that speaks to the experiences of Iranian immigrants. The use of Javanan serves as a bridge between the past and present, connecting the memories and experiences of the Iranian community with their current lives in the diaspora. This connection is vital for those who have experienced the trauma and displacement of migration, as it offers a sense of continuity and connection to their cultural heritage. Kohan's use of Javanan magazine in his art is also highly symbolic of the ways in which migrants often hold onto their cultural heritage in the face of assimilation. In this way, Kohan's art serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural heritage. It is a celebration of the resilience and strength of migrants, who must navigate the challenges of assimilation while also holding onto the traditions and memories that shape their identity.

Kohan emphasizes form, making successive stages of art making analogous to diasporic experiences by combining diverse and opposing elements to create a cohesive final product. This process is revealed in Kohan's layered abstract works created through painting, collage, décollage, and sanding, resulting in built-up yet weathered surfaces that are both chaotic and methodical. This carefully crafted texture, paired with his use of bold bright colors against darker, more muted tones, is suggestive of the many layers of identity present within the individual. Through his use of diverse and intricate cultural elements, Farzad Kohan's art captures the nuanced and multifaceted nature of individuals' lived experiences, resonating with those who share similar experiences of navigating the complexities of cultural integration.