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Solo exhibition at the most beautiful vacation homes in Sedona, AZ
All the pieces showcased in this gorgeous property are for sale.
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CANVAS REBEL: We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Afsaneh Oroojnia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below...
REPRESENTED BY:
Goldenstein Gallery, Sedona, AZ since 2019
EXHIBITION AT [9] THE GALLERY, PHX
Join us as {9} The Gallery presents the ABSTRACT exhibit of its Capsule Collection, a virtual exhibit opening First Friday, December 4th, 2020 at 7:00 PM at 9thegallery.com and on Artsy.net. {9} will also release an interview with the artists across its social media accounts and YouTube on Friday, December 4th, 2020 at 7:00 PM MST. The Capsule Collection.
EXHIBITION AT PORTLAND AT THE PARK, PHX
JULY 2020
In 2018, the Portland on the Park Arts Program was created to connect the residents to the arts and culture community. An Arts Working Group comprised of PotP residents was created to manage the program, and an Art Fund was established in partnership with Artlink Inc. for the purposes of developing a Portland on the Park art collection curated from the Arizona artist community.
EXHIBITION AT SEDONA ARTS CENTER, SEDONA, 2020
In June 2020 Sedona Art Center in Sedona showcased Women Artists from All around the World and called it "Magic and Dreams". Not only Afsaneh's piece "When Two Worlds Meet with Henry Purcell" was chosen in this spectacular show, her art piece also showcased in Sedona's Monthly Magazine's June issue.
EXHIBITION AT PORTLAND AT THE PARK, PHX
OCTOBER 2019
In 2018, the Portland on the Park Arts Program was created to connect the residents to the arts and culture community. An Arts Working Group comprised of PotP residents was created to manage the program, and an Art Fund was established in partnership with Artlink Inc. for the purposes of developing a Portland on the Park art collection curated from the Arizona artist community.
EXHIBITION AT RUMI TREE GALLERY, AZ
Painted Note Series debut and reveal for the duration of 11 months
SEDONA ART CENTER LOCAL ART SHOW
Sedona Art Center presented up and coming and established artists's artworks
EXHIBITION AT [9] THE GALLERY, PHX
Tiny Works | Tiny Dances is a carefully curated blend of artistic styles at a price point suited for the beginning or seasoned collector. The walls will hang with some of the best that Phoenix has to offer. Tiny Works | Tiny Dances runs through the month of December at {9} The Gallery.
ARTIST BIO
Fine artist Afsaneh Oroojnia knew early on that what really mattered to her was the ability to communicate freely through her art. She was fortunate to be exposed to creativity and music during her early childhood at home.
"Thanks to my amazing dad I was surrounded by art, music, singing,books, beauty, design, color, mysticism, poetry, and laughter. All that magically transformed tragedy and chaos that landed unexpectedly in our lives. As a nine year old I witnessed the fall of an Iranian monarchy and the rise of a dictatorship, fear, censorship as well as a nine year war at age 10. My love of star gazing and watching shooting stars at night was replaced by missiles and military planes dropping bombs over our head. Music and dance were forbidden and gave way to sirens. The whole country went in to panic, sadness, shock and ultimately in to survival mode over night."
Afsaneh is often asked how she survived those horrible times, how she stayed hopeful and how she retained her positive outlook and vibrancy. She responds: “When I think back to everything that went on then and even afterward in my life as an Iranian woman living away from home, my answer is always music and my love of art and beauty. Music fed my soul and drawing and painting brought meaning, love and grace into my heart.”
Afsaneh attended University of Art in Tehran and moved to the US in 1991. She continued her education at the University of Arizona studying music and painting. Her new series, “Painted Note” was initially inspired by classical music and expanded to Rock and Roll and modern music.
Afsaneh expresses the hidden shapes and colors that she intuits in the great composer’s music.
“I started listening to classical music when I was very young. My hands kept drawing what I was hearing in my head and in space with my arms. As I worked on a large piece years later, I listened to Vivaldi. Suddenly, my paint brush took off dancing across my canvas, covering up the piece that I was working on. Essence of Vivaldi invited me to get a glimpse of his universe. I watched my hands mixing colors, which delighted me with passion, aliveness and purpose. I didn’t control anything; I let music pour out of my hands, as I watched in awe and wonder. It was like falling in love over and over and over with each brush stroke. After finishing the piece, I knew that I wanted to explore other musicians and composer’s work to see how painting, music and dance fuse together. My process begins with an energetic submergence into the life behind the music. Music blasts in my studio and with my eyes closed, colors, shapes and forms pop in to my head. I start seeing the music. As I feel the music, it transforms my body into an instrument. What happens next is an orchestrated, enchanting dance that takes place on my canvas. Every painting is unique and the process is an experience. Painted Note is a beautiful marriage between sound and vision."
Afsaneh has completed pieces inspired by Vivaldi, Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Mozart, Handel, Henry Purcell, Clara Schumann, Pagenini, Louise Farrenc, Wilhelmine Von Bayreuth, Strauss, Jason Vieaux, and also Abba, Frank Sinatra, Queen, Cold Play, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Queen, Chris Spheres and Yo-Yo Ma and more. Afsaneh's paintings are displayed in private collections and shown in galleries in Sedona and Phoenix, Arizona.