Badri Valian’s : Virgins in Heaven
From October 19 through November 2, the Worth Ryder Art Gallery (WRAG), will present for the first time ever, an exhibition of works by celebrated interactive-performance artist and multi-media painter Badri Valian (b. 1977). Her artworks aim to engage local and ethnic communities by addressing social concerns like poverty, sexual harassment, forced displacement, and discrimination against marginalized groups. This retrospective, titled Virgins in Heaven draws from the Quran’s mention of fantastical “virgins in heaven” that await religious men. Valian uses this as a starting point to think about death and the afterlife in relation to the non-discriminating impact that COVID-19 had (and continues to have) on people regardless of religion and ethnicity.
In the WRAG’s upcoming exhibition, Valian seeks to “bring awareness [to] the necessity of integrating science and technology in our life more than fantasy…Virgins in Heaven brings up the discussion about the difference between ‘Science’ and ‘Delusion’ when our planet Earth faces ‘Catastrophe’”. Valian studied Fine Arts at Art University in her home country of Iran, where she graduated with a B.A. in Fine Art. She has been the recipient of several national awards for her creative techniques and unique vision. In 2013 she moved to the United States and artistically explored the dynamic and conceptual energy of the human body for two years at 23rd St. Studio in San Francisco. She now lives and makes art in the San Francisco Bay Area. Valian has had work exhibited in a plethora of institutions in the Bay Area and beyond.
This exhibition is curated by gallery assistant Elizabeth Verheyden and will be held in the Worth Ryder Art Gallery, located inside the Anthropology and Art Practice Building on the UC Berkeley campus. WRAG is free and open to the public 12pm-5pm Monday through Friday and by appointment.
Opening Reception: Wednesday, October 19, 2022 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Closing Reception: Wednesday, November 2, 2022 4:00 - 6:00 PM