Crossover

 “Crossover” exhibiting artwork by Maryam Mirzael. Gallery P21, 21 Charlton Street,
London, NW1 1JD. 18 February to 5 March 2020. Nearest tubes Kings Cross or Euston.
Open 12 – 6 Tue, Thur, Fri. 12 – 8 Wed. 12-4 Sat. Closed Suns and Mons.
Written by Penny Nair Price.
True attention to detail inspires awe from the viewer!
Maryam Mirzael is an Iranian artist whose personal journey in the discipline of art includes special
treatment of miniature painting. The lady has also worked in textile and carpet design as well as
contemporary and the miniature works which are all described as an umbrella subject of
“contemporarised traditional art”. Maryam studied as part of her time as a student art at Prince’s
School of Traditional Art in London.
Some of the paintings are reminiscent of William Blake who was born in 1757 and used a myriad
array of watercolours to create stunningly detailed paintings of fantasy characters in unusual
settings. But there the similarity ends as Maryam’s subjects are ladies including one with huge white
feathered wings and another basking in a sun enchanted environment part fantasy part reality. One
of these detailed artworks took one year to complete and the artist used gouache as the medium.
Lightness – and placing all humans in light is Maryam’s religion-based concept that “to place anyone
in darkness – even in a painting, is an act of gross disrespect”. The ISLMI form and spiral patterns
appear, reflecting their own specific and historical realities.
The circle is used – in Islam, this equals divine unity and there are combined circles in the exhibition.
Symmetrical forms in Islamic art and architecture, allow for an emphasis on “divine unity” (tawhid).
Grab some time and go and see the exhibition which extends to the basement of this very
established gallery near Kings Cross.