The surreal, almost alien nature contained within the paintings of Farzad Golpayegani is something that truly resonates with me. Being both a visual artist and musician gives him the ability to cleverly combine and intergrade instrumentation into humanoid forms to create harmonious beings that truly sing (pun intended). While his painting journey has been a life long one, more recently Farzad found himself preparing for something new; his own solo exhibition at START Los Angeles.
The Farzad Golpayegani ‘Painting and Drawing’ exhibition was held from the 28th – 29th July 2024 offering visitors the incredible opportunity to see Farzad’s surreal creations up close and personal. Over the course of two days, many of Farzad’s newest digital paintings sat side by side next to his final work in acrylic alongside a selection of his older works dating back to 2014. This exclusive interview offers insight into the exhibition alongside Farzad’s thoughts, feelings and reflections.
The exhibition was a good reminder of the importance of physically displaying my art and interacting with my audience. It helps with exposure and boosts my confidence, keeping me positive about my work.
Interview with Farzad Golpayegani
Upon reflection, how are you feeling now that your solo exhibition has concluded? Did it go how you expected it to?
I felt a sense of accomplishment once all the artworks were hung on the walls. Overall, it went well and almost as I expected. I advertised as much as I could, but most visitors came through my personal network.
Did you have a theme in mind when putting this exhibition together in terms of the work you wanted to feature? Or was it more of a celebration of your current and past works?
The exhibition focused mainly on my latest digital work, plus my last acrylic on canvas collection. The pieces were mostly related to music. The digital paintings and drawings came from two collections I created after my albums ‘Eight” and “Nine’ , and the original artworks were inspired by music and musical instruments, blending with figures and other objects.
Since I sadly couldn’t attend the exhibition myself, I must ask, did you feature any of your music as part of the exhibition, a soundtrack to the show if you will?
It would have been meaningful since most artworks were created after my songs. However, I chose not to play them during the show because my music is complex and energetic, which might distract from the drawings and paintings. In the future, I would love to play a few pieces live during the opening.
You moved into working predominantly in drawing format due to an injury, what has this transition been like for you and has it altered the way you approach your work in terms of workflow?
Over the past ten years, I have developed a corneal condition that could potentially be triggered by staring at a monitor. My full-time job as an art director and designer already requires me to spend a lot of time looking at screens. Additionally, my painting style demands detailed work, which conflicted with my condition and caused painful episodes and blurry vision which last for several days. To avoid this, I shifted to drawing, which allows me to complete my work faster and more efficiently. I find drawing more expressive compared to painting, so the transition hasn’t been inconvenient.
I felt a sense of accomplishment once all the artworks were hung on the walls.
What have your learned/gained from creating this exhibition?
The exhibition was a good reminder of the importance of physically displaying my art and interacting with my audience. It helps with exposure and boosts my confidence, keeping me positive about my work. As oppose to my design career, my visual art and music activities don’t generate much revenue and are not my main income source, so it’s easy to feel stuck. Events like these help me stay positive and forward-looking. It also improves my presentation skills, as I need to guide those who ask about my art and concepts, even though I prefer creating over explaining.
What has been the most challenging aspect of creating this exhibition?
The most challenging part was finding the time to create the artworks due to my busy schedule. Additionally, advertising took extra effort, but it didn’t yield much result. Most visitors were friends and from my local network.
Do you have any pieces from this exhibition that hold a particularly special place in your heart? If so, which ones and why?
Yes, the first artwork I painted in the acrylic on canvas collection called “88” is special to me. It marks the first artwork I created after moving to the US during a challenging time, reflecting my experiences. At the exhibition, I received multiple requests for that piece, but I decided not to sell it as it reminds me of those memories.
What’s next for you? Can we look forward to more exhibitions from you in the near future? Or maybe another new project?
I’m working on completing my latest collection with five more drawings and planning another exhibition, possibly as a group show. I’m also looking forward to start working on my tenth solo album as soon as possible!
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