betterArts Resident Leila Namin's Gallery Reception March 28

"Wish" by Leila Namin

betterArts resident Leila Namin will host an artist's reception and gallery showing of her work from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton, NY. 

Leila is a painter and poet from Iran who has been staying at Better Farm during the month of March through the betterArts Residency Program. 

She earned a BFA in painting from the College of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran in 2009, and an MFA in painting from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2012. Her work has been shown extensively throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. 

During her betterArts residency in Redwood this month, she has focused on studio time to create a large body of small paintings. These pieces will be on display 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, March 28, and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at the Thousand Islands Arts Center. The artist will be available at the reception from 4-6 p.m. Saturday  to answer questions and speak about her work. Refreshments and hors-d'oeuvres will be served.

My paintings are made through many layers of narrative and medium. When I paint I try to find the balance between intuition and intellect. Colors and textures can bring different feelings into the work. The continuous disconnection between the idea and the form, between reality and memory and between being and appearing, is the basic idea that I follow in my work.

I am influenced by philosophy, specifically concerning notions of the Absurd. Reduction of significance to an ambiguous state, where certain things may or may not have meanings, is deeply important to me.—Leila Namin

The Thousand Islands Arts Center is located at 314 John St. in Clayton. This gallery exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. Learn more about Leila at leilanamin.com. For further information about the betterArts residency program, click here.