In Wandering in the Land of Dreams, Mohammad Barrangi creates portals between worlds, bringing forth images that are both natural, traditional, and familiar, yet fantastical, and otherworldly.
Tones of sand and sun contrast with clear blue skies, as a parade of mysticism cascades towards our realm.
A song and dance radiates between humans and animals, ambiguous in narrating which of the two is taking the lead, a harmony of playful coexistence.
That theme of play is imprinted throughout the show, as hints of humour, and bursts of colour draw the eye away from subtler details the reveal themselves over time.
His signature calligraphic style creates shapes, identities, and textures, be it the hyde if an elephant, the frock of a queen, or the feathers of a flock.
Duality permeates throughout the works, be it animals and humans, nature and man made structures, light and dark, or chaos and order.
There is a motion, an energy, a movement to the art, a wondering as to what may magically appear next, a story one can discern and interpret from the still images; a sense of emergence and growth.
Barrangi invites us to explore an extraordinary carnival that harkens back to the early days of circus, of ancient empires, and bygone eras, an ode to our shared heritage, and a reminder of the beauties of co-existance on this world and beyond.
Text by Soheil Ahmadzadeh.
