Untitled (from 'Fall in dopamine' series) 2020-21

Trained in traditional miniature painting in Tehran, Maryam Ayeen and Abbas Shahsavar’s illustrations of intimate scenes between couples, humorous observations of social mores and biting political critiques infuse this revered historic medium with contemporary significance.

In the ‘Fall in dopamine’ series, the tight physical limits of domestic spaces mimic the confines of political and social rules in Iran, which can take their toll on the mental health of citizens. Desperate to escape these confines, a couple attempts to express their autonomy through using illicit recreational drugs. The use of mind-altering substances has rich historical precedent in Persian poetry, Sufi philosophy and the Zoroastrian faith. Ayeen and Shahsavar not only draw on these texts as inspiration but also, through their erudite miniature paintings, point to the contemporary relevance of these philosophical and artistic lineages.