In the Making: Zahra Jlayer

In the Making — Zahra Jlayer, Solo Painting Exhibition. October 15–30, 2026. Opening reception Saturday, October 17, 5–7 PM. Part of ArtsFest 2026.

This new body of work begins with fluid paintings that then receive further layers: paint, newspaper, gold leaf, text, numbers and images. Beneath those materials sit other layers — culture, memory, history, philosophy, and the contradictions of being human.

In the painting on the invitation, Zahra imagines a conversation between Rumi and Nietzsche, separated by centuries, language and culture, yet both concerned with what a human being is and might become: Rumi, weary of the darkness within us; Nietzsche, insisting we overcome it. Their question feels urgent now — where are we going, and what are we becoming?

“As an Iranian artist, that contradiction is not abstract. It is tied to my bones and the lives of people I come from. The layers in the painting hold beauty and violence, inheritance and rebellion, hope and exhaustion in one place. Becoming better starts with not believing we are doomed to stay who we have become.” — Zahra Jlayer