OPENING RECEPTION FOR “THEIA MANIA”, A SOLO EXHIBITION OF WORKS BY FARIA RAJI
OPENING RECEPTION FOR "THEIA MANIA", A SOLO EXHIBITION OF WORKS BY FARIA RAJI
July 29, 2017
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Open Mind Art Space
11631 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90025


Open Mind Art Space is pleased to present “Theia Mania”, a solo exhibition featuring mixed media works by Faria Raji. An opening reception will be held for the artist on Saturday, July 29th from 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM. The exhibition will be on view from July 29th through August 25th, 2017.

Faria Raji’s works are at once visceral and ephemeral, evoking the notion that amidst decay and misery the only vision that radiates promise is the figurative form. Rooted in the tradition of photography, his pieces go beyond the photograph; he destroys the surface of the images while selectively applying texture and impasto paint. As individual photos uniquely call for, Raji will mark, burn, score, deface, paint, and modify each print to heighten and clarify its language.

In his most recent grouping of works titled “Theia Mania”, a Greek term meaning “divine madness from the Gods”, Raji utilizes photography and various construction methodologies to create worlds in which naked nymphs inhabit mysterious erotic realms. His artwork lives in a continuum where the dust of love and erotic desire has not yet settled. Raji attempts to immortalize the energy of life — a brief moment of enlightenment experienced at the time of ecstasy which produces a temporary loss of consciousness as every cell fires in unison.

Faria Raji was born in 1972 in a war torn country, migrated to Switzerland at the age of seven and then to France at age 14. There he was introduced to the conceptual glamour of the French Riviera. Later he moved to Los Angeles in 1990 where he was exposed to American pop culture and the grit of the Sunset Strip.

Raji attended the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and was the first student to win a One Show Gold Pencil in advertising. After college, Raji had an extensive career as an award-winning art director, photographer and a college instructor. His work in design garnered him a Grammy nomination. Over the years, he studied under the wing of renowned art director Roland Young, French Lui magazine photographer James Baes, and also world-renowned and legendary fashion photographer Philip Dixon. Raji currently splits his time between Hollywood, California, and Key West, Florida. www.fariaraji.com


11631 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90025

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our weekly Gallery Rounds Newsletter for new Reviews, Art opps, Art Events, & More every week!

Thank you for Subscribing! Look out for the ARTILLERY Newsletter to your inbox on Thursday every week!