Artist Profile: NAS alumni Arash Chehelnabi

Artist Profile: NAS alumni Arash Chehelnabi

Article by: Victoria Hynes. Photo: Arash Chehelnabi, Nancy Fairfax Artist in Residence Studio, photographed by Kate Holmes, courtesy the artist and Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.

Visually and conceptually compelling, Chehelnabi’s deceptively simple paintings subconsciously play with the mind. Executed in a raw, almost childlike style, his practice involves a surrealist method of combining disparate motifs within the composition in order to unsettle or perplex the observer. Against the black walls of Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre’s exhibition space, his luminous paintings pop with colour. Upon canvases painted in flat cerulean blue, tangerine orange or a white lime wash, everyday objects hover and float.

A sparse, ghostly tree ascends from the middle of the ocean, surrounded by shimmering waves. Circular, balloon-like shapes float on the sea below a sunset horizon. A small peaked mountain range is contained within a blue cube. The images are peculiar, absurd, and surprising, challenging the audience’s perceptions of reality.

#Follow us on Instagram
This holiday season, give the gift of creativity.  Whether your loved one is eager to begin their artistic journey, or they wish to continue learning and making art, a National Art School Gift Card will help them unlock their creative potential.  Give a gift that inspires. Buy a National Art School Gift Card today.  Learn more at the link in bio.
Congratulations to all HSC students receiving their end of year results today! And to our future students, we look forward to meeting you in 2025.
On Tuesday 10 December, the National Art School celebrated the achievements and success of our students through awarding of prizes and scholarships. We would like to congratulate the award recipients for their hard work and thank our lecturers and technicians for their outstanding dedication and commitment to each and every student.  All of the prizes and scholarships awarded have been generously provided by our benefactors and sponsors, and we also thank you for your support.  Major Prize winners (pictured left to right): Oliver Abbott, Caleb Slater, Megan McKenzie, Freyja Fristad, Sarah R. Serfati, Ellen McCalmont, Benjamin Akuila, Chile Bainbridge, Elena Larkin. Photography by Peter Morgan.  View the full list of awards and recipients at the link in bio.
Loading...