In Ali Banisadr’s The Mirror World, mirror-gazing figures are embedded in—or emerge from—an imagined world constructed from an energetic vortex of color and brushstrokes.
Though Banisadr’s paintings can appear from afar like intricate abstractions, close inspection reveals that each painting is a world unto itself, rich with narrative suggestion and mysterious imagery. Drawing on references ranging from ancient to futuristic, each painting weaves together history, mythology, autobiographical narratives, sonic memories, and global events, while offering the artist’s own reflections on the human condition.
In The Mirror World, many of the figures have their backs to the viewers; their faces are visible to us only in their mirrored reflections. While calling to mind artistic precedents such Jan van Eyck’s The Arnolfini Portrait and Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas, the painting offers a thoughtful rumination on the function of self-reflection across time, drawing on references ranging from classical mythology to our screen-dominated age.