From the artist:

“The primary source of my inspiration is the current repression of women throughout patriarchal societies. I depict male figures as funny cartoonish figures in decorative colors. This representation aims to mock the complex and fragile masculinity of patriarchal societies in which men control every element of life.

This series depicts men celebrating their freedom and enjoying their time spent drinking, picnicking, swimming, and almost everything they want. The new series pictures various things women are either forbidden or not encouraged to do while it’s entirely normal for men to do such things. With these works, I am talking about the advantages of being a man and questioning absolute norms through humor. These men are vulnerable and insecure. By putting pressure on women, whether conscious or unconscious, they overcome their insecurity and low self-esteem. These societies put pressure on women to conform to specific standards, to make women do what they want them to do. In this repressive reality, women are limited in power but, through painting, I am making a space for myself to mess with these men and to play with them on my terms.”

About the artist:

Born 1979, Tehran, Iran
Live and works in Chicago, IL

Torabi received her MA and BA from The University of Art, Tehran, Iran. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. Torabi’s solo and two-person shows include Yes, Please & Thank You (a Richard Heller Gallery Chinatown pop-up), Los Angeles, Western Exhibitions, Chicago and Horton Gallery in New York City. Group shows include Andrew Rafacz Gallery and the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago. She was selected for the 2017 Midwest issue of New American Paintings and has work in the Microsoft Art Collection in Redmond, WA. Torabi lives and works in Chicago. She is represented by Richard Helller Gallery, Santa Monica, Western Exhibitions, Chicago and Horton Gallery in Dallas.