Look: "The Guardian of Treasure" exhibition by Bita Vakili at Nian Art Gallery

Iran Art: Eleven pieces by the well-known Iranian painter Bita Vakili are on display at the Nian Art Gallery in Tehran. This show, which is Vakili's first exhibition in three years, is titled "The Guardian of Treasure".

The Vakili show at Nian Art Gallery is divided into two parts: on the lower floor, six new works by her developed in the last two years are displayed, and the title "The Guardian of Treasure" refers to the same collection.

The upper floor of the Nian Art Gallery showcases Vakili's last five pieces from the "Earth Pulse" series. These items, created in 2017 and 2018, made their debut in Iran.

The "Earth Pulse" series clearly depicts the artist's and community's inner rebellion. One of the main features of Vakili's earlier works is the use of metal collages and embryonic forms. The artist seems to have been more forceful and defiant. With the inclusion of metal collages, the paintings in this series have transformed from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.

Vakili's "The Guardian of Treasure" collection is on display on the lower floor of the Nian Art Gallery.

The artist has referred to the abstract space for which she is well-known in these works from the preceding two years. Only a few delicate wood collages are shown in this series, and neither metal embryos nor collages are present.

It seems as though the artist's journey back inwards with this collection has resulted in a distinct abstraction that differs greatly from her earlier work.

Bita Vakili makes a delicate request of herself and others in "The Guardian of Treasure" to respect the environment, personal items, and human legacy with kindness. Through her canvases, the artist appears to be urging the viewer to be soft, patient, and understanding.

Vakili herself said that the post-Corona world made everyone understand the importance of impermanence, which struck everyone deeply.

As a result, we now need to take care of our treasures.

A prominent feature of "The Guardian of Treasure" collection is Vakili's sense of connection to both her own Iran and the wider world, as seen from many angles ranging from the environment to modern architecture and human society.

Christie's Dubai has recorded six notable Vakili sales. Apart from the record-breaking $45,000 sale of "Dreaming New York" on April 18, 2012, one of Vakili's nameless works sold for $40,000 on October 21, 2014, and another untitled piece was purchased for $35,000 in October 2011. Furthermore, she sold her artwork "This Is Me" for $31,000 in October 2010. Meanwhile, on April 27, 2010 and April 2011, two of her unnamed paintings sold for $25,000 and $26,000, respectively.

Vakili's artworks have been featured in ten editions of the Tehran Auction so far. At the 20th edition of the art event in July, a three-panel piece from the collection "The Garden of History" sold for $130,000, setting a new record for her.

Vakili's paintings are held by prestigious institutions such as Bank Pasargad, Tourism Bank, and the Farjam Foundation of Dubai, and Mohammad Reza Ghaemmaghami's collection in addition to well-known Iranian collectors like Professor Firouz Naderi.

The Nian Art Gallery is showing Bita Vakili's artwork through October 4.