Sculpture by Payam Khajeh
The Budgeon's display case - Richmond Library Foyer
415 Church Street, Richmond (Melbourne)
21 September to 19 December 2017
Review by Nathan Moshinsky
Payam Khajeh is displaying six sculptures and a sketch book, in the show case, at the Richmond Library, from 21 September to 19 December 2017. He is a very well qualified artist, and the work displayed reflects his considerable talent and imagination.
Sculpture by Payam Khajeh, in The Budgeins Case, Richmond Library foyer
Born in Iran, he graduated from an Art University in Iran in 2003. Subsequently he migrated to Australia where he worked as an art teacher in Perth.
In 2009 he was awarded a Master of Visual Arts by the Uni SA, and majored in painting. He has been living in Melbourne from 2011 where he has continued his art practice in painting and sculpting developing contemporary styles and techniques.
Payam has taken part in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Australia and abroad, and has received prizes and an award.
The works on display in the current exhibition, are made by the use of old books which are transformed into works of art. Payam has rescued some old books which were destined for a recycling centre, by gluing their pages together so as to produce a solid object capable of carving and shaping, so as to become a sculpture. In addition, he has decorated some of this work, painting it and adding illustrations created by digital art.
Payam Khajeh's sketch book with his sculptures
Payam has a strong talent for drawing, and his sketch book is displayed to show the development by him, of a three-dimensional image from a drawing in his sketch book. In your face shows the creation of a sculpture from a sketch, through to a work which juxtaposes a number of digital pictures of people set beside a sculpted figure. This produces a certain tension between the sculpted book and the digital image.
Beauty of family, paper & stone, 27 x 27 x 23 cm, by Payam Khajeh
I particularly liked Beauty of family which shows two figures sculpted from books set on a mount, close to each other seemingly engaged in an intimate conversation. The seated figure is wrapped in a shawl marked by a red line, which helps to bind both figures into a close entity. A similar theme is expressed in Secret Kiss, where a figure floats closely besides a feminine figure, suggestive of a secret kiss.
Secret kiss, paper & stone, 27 x 27 x 24 cm, by Payam Khajeh
Another evocative work is Face 1974. It is made by the combination of different pages from different books which are glued together, and then cut up, to show a human face in profile. A cut out digital print is glued on this face to depict an eye.
Internal Spin, paper & stone, 27 x 27 x 25 cm, and Face 1974, paper & stone, 20 x 14 x 24 cm, by Payam Khajeh
Another interesting work is Internal Spin, which shows two figures sitting beside a fan like structure suggesting constant motion. This work is entirely made from old books and is very inventive.
I was very pleased to view this exhibition and recommend it to members of CAS.