Nowbahari’s painting research focuses on: 1) observing the outer world; 2) feeling the inner worlds; 3) representing the connection between these two dimensions.
A painting is an introspection tool. In his vision, it is similar to a camera, and not to a photography, i.e. it coincides with the process (painting, verb) and not with the processed (painting, noun).
From an artist point of view, it is the act of painting (per se) that carries a message. Which message? Poetically, it can be claimed that a painting is nothing but a glimpse of the painter’s abyss. What the artist sees at the end of the process is a photograph of a deep feeling, which is generated during the process, and lost right after that.
Now the question is, “what others see?” From an observer point of view, when looking at a painting, the brain associates previous experiences and thoughts to what it sees. So the painting still acts as a camera, and the act of observing is equivalent to a shutter button. The way in which the object is represented and understood is dependent on the focus, which is somehow our sensibility. Therefore, also for the observer a painting acts as an active instrument, i.e. it is the act of observing that generates the feeling.
Therefore, a fundamental distinction exists between the artist and the observer. The artist is active, with respect to the painting, only during the process. On the other hand, the observer is active only when observing the processed.
Artistically, his works belong to the neo-expressionism style, when it comes to the use of contrasting colors. However, abstract and minimalist components are often mixed with a dominant figurative component. In terms of materials, oil colors are preferred when full control on the brush is needed. However, switching to acrylic colors is natural when an idea needs to be quickly impressed.
Painters that have influenced his works are Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, and Wassily Kandinsky. Philosphers, Friedrich Nietzsche and Emil Cioran. Poets, Pablo Neruda and Charles Baudelaire. So melancholy, women, flowers, death, and life are often represented. Currently, he is investigating the feelings that we usually try to avoid, because they make us feel too much alive. Examples of those feelings are in the following.
Nora, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021
Nora, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021 – Detail
Nora, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021 – Detail
Nora, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021 – Detail
Nora was inspired by the women painted by the Norwegian artist Astri Welhaven Heiberg (1881-1967).
Nora impersonates Melancholy. When she feels alone, she goes to the beach and seats on a rock. Here she thinks about her past, her present and her future.
As every human, Nora sometimes has that irrational fear of not being able to meet people’s expectations. But here, on this rock, by looking at the infinite number of sea waves Nora is able to gain her confidence again.
The work has been painted in Tjøme, an island in Færder, Norway.
The Hug, 90cm x 60cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021
The Hug, 90cm x 60cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021 – Detail
The Hug, 90cm x 60cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021 – Detail
The Hug, 90cm x 60cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021 – Detail
The Hug, 90cm x 60cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021 – Detail
She is worried about their future. That’s why she hugs him.
The equation on the right is the continuity equation for electrons. This equation enforces charge conservation for the electrons. A continuity equation is somehow a form of conservation law. It other words it states that some properties of a system do not change as the system evolves over time.
When she hugs him, she hopes that her feelings are not going to change over time.
But the equation is defined for electrons, not for humans. So his arms do not fully embrace her.
Wait, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas
Wait, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas – Detail
Wait, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas – Detail
Wait, 70cm x 70cm, Acrylic on Canvas – Detail
There is something that all grandmothers have in common. That wrinkle on their hand. That precious wrinkle carries a message.
There is a moment in the day in which they just wait for the eternal calm.
They got angry, they got happy. They got a wrinkle on their hand. The grandma is waiting for the eternal calm.
There is nothing else to do.
New Hope, 60cm x 120cm, Oil on Canvas, 2023
New Hope, 60cm x 120cm, Oil on Canvas, 2023 – Detail
New Hope, 60cm x 120cm, Oil on Canvas, 2023 – Detail
New Hope, 60cm x 120cm, Oil on Canvas, 2023 – Detail
New Hope, 60cm x 120cm, Oil on Canvas, 2023 – Detail
At the beginning of each year, I always try to paint something joyful. But there we are, with a pregnant woman who got a mastectomy. What is going on in her mind? Ok, it is not joyful. But it brings hope. Life did not stop for her.