101
IRAN
Aria Shokouhi Eghbal
Portrait 1998
oil on canvas 88.5 x 69 cm

Aria Shokouhi Eghbal was born in 1962 and studied art at the Alzahra University, Iran. Her work has been shown in over 40 exhibitions in Iran as well as in the USA, Canada, and China. She lives in Tehran. The painting has been produced from the artist’s imagination rather than directly from a model. It freezes for a moment the image of a woman peering through the gap between two curtains or the opening of a door. There is an ambiguity for the spectator, for it is not clear whether the woman is emerging or retreating. One side of her face, heavy lidded and with a startling white complexion, suggests strength of purpose, cunning, and control of her situation, even a sinister undertone to her thought and action. The other side of her face, though hidden, can be seen faintly. The artist leaves interpretation to the spectator.