B21 Gallery is proud to unveil the very latest work from the internationally-acclaimed contemporary artist Fereydoun Ave. In a show entitled Lal Dahlias, Ave presents the viewer with a singularly vivid journey through his creative process, via repeated impressions of a single dahlia in myriad forms.As we trace Ave’s creative processes through these pieces, we join the artist in a journey of discovery and emotional catharsis. Through a range of styles, Ave’s paintings repeat and echo with growing conviction – going past paint, paper, ink and pastels into the very heart of his creativity. This is a pivotal collection of work in a career that has seen the Iranian-born painter and polymath work and exhibit around the globe, with some of the biggest names in 20th century art.

Paris-based Iranian painter Ghass Rouzkhosh addresses contemporary cultural and geopolitical issues through his work. In tackling complex questions, and referring to his personal experiences as a soldier during the devastating Iran-Iraq war, Ghass limits himself to three symbolic colours - red, black and white - and incorporates the picture frame into the painting.Ghass's work is about more than method: he has a remarkable ability to take a predetermined set of conditions, to extract the essence of colour and meaning, and to discard the rest. His powerful, sometimes three-dimensional paintings evoke both fascination and malaise.

Inspired by the idea of the harem, which comes from the Arabian word ‘haram’, or ‘forbidden’, it also means ‘protected’ and ‘reserved’. It is the life of women in harems that has captured Ketabchi’s imagination; in addition to Qajar images, she draws inspiration from Persian miniatures, costumes, masks and props, which she uses to mix together contemporary and historical elements. Incorporating sly erotic references into these traditional pictures, she uses metaphors to address taboos, turning conventions upside down and inside out with bizarre props such as leather bras and fluffy ear muffs, turning the stoic and staunch into the completely and utterly absurd.

Amsterdam based Dutch artist George Heidweiller, born 1963, invites you on a trip around the world through impressions and cityscapes. A siren song luring you to get lost in Vegas, Dubai or Reno. Visit places where old is new and east meets west, merging in an eclectic mixture of techniques.

In his latest collection of paintings, Palestinian artist Jeffar Khaldi explores the emotionally explosive matter of human resilience. Typically complex, his works portray figures and characters that appear drained yet full of hope. Khaldi’s oeuvre is frequently provocative. Loading his neo-expressionist paintings with iconic Arab and Western imagery, and incorporating elements of language and images of the homeland, he uses the canvas to play with colour, texture and found objects. In this exhibition, he captures a kind of humanity gone awry.Based in Dubai, Khaldi has won several awards for his work, including the prize for overhall best artist at the 2nd Sharjah biennale.

Shadi Ghadirian, one of the most important contemporary Iranian photographers, is to be the guest artist at the B21 Gallery. Known for her images of Qajar portraits, colored patterned chadors juxtaposed with domestic appliances and more recently for her series ‘Be Colorful’, Ghadirian is responsible for a body of work which is simultaneously ironic and political. All works are expressing the difficulties women face in Iran today – torn between tradition and modernity.