Press Release
O Gallery is pleased to present “Return”, a series of deeply personal works by Zakiehe Rahimi (b. 1949, Tabriz), inspired by the time she spent with her parents between 2001 and 2006 before their passing.
This poignant collection represents years of reflection, creativity and mourning, during which Rahimi intentionally refrained from public exhibitions, choosing instead to work privately in her studio. For Rahimi, coping with grief became an intensely personal and physical journey. The profound loss of her parents left her struggling with a lack of concentration for painting — her original medium. In response, she turned to her body as a tool of expression, channeling her emotions into the creation of sculptural installations. These works include standing figures made of crumpled stacks of newspapers from her workplace, a material imbued with both transience and permanence; ceramic fragmented figured that symbolize the broken yet enduring fragments of memory, pieced together to convey the complexity of grief and the passage of time. This exhibition brings together a collection of works spanning different series, each exploring distinct materials and techniques. Rahimi incorporates crumpled paper, ceramics and metal into her practice, imbuing each medium with symbolic weight and personal meaning. The interplay between these materials reflects the multifaceted nature of memory and loss—fragile yet enduring, fragmented yet cohesive. Rahimi’s perspective on artistic completion is as intuitive as her process. She believes that the artist, attuned to their own inner compass, recognizes when a work has reached its final form. This philosophy underscores the sensitivity she attributes to artists, whom she describes as deeply responsive to their surroundings and the global events that shape them. Whether through direct representation or abstract, symbolic gestures, she views her art as a bridge between personal experience and universal resonance.
Reflecting on her work and its interaction with audiences, Rahimi explains:
“Since I was a figurative painter, this is how I expressed myself and understood my feelings. One may see what I see in these figures, while another may interpret them as mere crumpled bundles of newspapers or suspended reliefs.”
The strength of Rahimi’s work lies in its ability to evoke diverse responses, inviting viewers to connect with her journey while contemplating their own interpretations. Her decision to step back from public view for years, quietly creating and exploring has culminated in this compelling body of work
—a testament to resilience, transformation and the enduring power of art to heal and communicate.
Selected Works
