Behrang Karimi

Shiraz, Iran, 1980

            Behrang Karimi explores, with a unique sensitivity, the intersections between the intimate, the dreamlike, and the tensions of cultural identity. Born in Shiraz, Iran, Karimi grew up in a context shaped by the history and traditions of his homeland, but his life took a transnational turn when he moved to Europe, where he now lives and works in Cologne, Germany. He studied under the mentorship of Peter Doig at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (2008–2015), an experience that solidified his interest in painting as a medium through which to unravel the complexities of personal and collective memory. His work, moving between figuration and abstraction, reveals a style imbued with melancholy and lyricism, inviting viewers into an introspective dialogue with the shadows of the past and the emotions of the present.

            His figures, often emerging in ethereal, fragmented settings, embody a femininity that oscillates between fragility and power: women dissolving into dreamlike landscapes, inhabiting blurred interiors, or confronting other figures in compositions rich with symbolism. Karimi’s technique, which combines oil on canvas or linen with intuitive gestures, applies deep, opaque brushstrokes that create dense textures and colors merging into layered meanings, evoking a dream state where the real and the imagined intertwine. This distinctive style, reminiscent of 19th-century Symbolism and 20th-century European expressive painting, is infused with a femininity that does not idealize but reveals vulnerability and strength through forms that seem to dissolve into light or memory, as seen in works such as o.T. (2020). His use of mixed media, including monotypes and gouache on paper, adds a tactile dimension that deepens the emotional connection with his figures.

            Karimi’s institutional recognition includes his participation in the 9th Painting Biennial at the Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens in Belgium (2023), as well as solo exhibitions at prestigious venues such as Maureen Paley in London (Dinge Weltweit, 2023), Ermes Ermes in Rome (Bacchus Madness Walking Experience, 2022), and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in New York. His work is also part of private collections and has been exhibited in museums such as the Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen Düsseldorf and the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich. Through his practice, Karimi not only redefines the boundaries between figuration and abstraction, but also offers a poetic testimony to what it means to inhabit a space where the human meets the transcendent.