Bita Vakili

Bita Vakili (b. 1973) is a contemporary painter who began her early works in an abstract style and has gradually shown philosophical concepts by inserting vague images among the multitude of intricate colors of her works.

Bita Vakili was born in Tehran and studied painting for both her bachelor’s degree at the University of Art and Architecture and her master's degree at Tehran University of Arts. After graduation and from the early 1990s, the path of her works went from pure abstraction to a new direction, and with the emergence of forms such as human figures, maps of Iran, buildings and images of human embryos, took on a symbolic meaning and expression. Bita Vakili's paintings, in spite of their symbolism and dealing with issues related to the country, homeland and motherland, have been able to distance themselves from lyricism and pure Iranianization and find a philosophical quality.$$quote$$

The thick layers of the combined colors and the emphasis on the physicality of the color can be considered as the main features of Bita Vakili's paintings. The use of metal objects, creating textures with pieces such as bolts, sequins and wreaths and creating a three-dimensional appearance in the painting adds to this concept.

Bita Vakili's first solo exhibition was held in 2001 at Assar Gallery in Tehran. In the 2000s, she presented her work in several solo shows at Assar Gallery and Mahe Mehr Gallery, as well as group shows such as "Beyond the Art of Lighting: Iranian Contemporary Art" Canada's Cityspace Art Gallery, and "Blue Echo".

In the 1990s the artist became known internationally for her solo exhibition of "You Must Cross" at the E1 Gallery in Tehran, the solo exhibition of "The Pulse of the Earth" at the Cama Gallery in London.

The book "Bita Vakili Collection" by Edeh Publications, published in 2014, includes selected artworks from the artist, notes from artists, and critics such as Alireza Sami Azar, Behnam Kamrani, Ahmad Reza Dalvand, and Paris Tanfizi about Bita Vakili's work process and analysis of her artworks.

Bita Vakili's latest display of her works titled "This is the Garden of History" was held in 2021 at Avan Gallery in Tehran.