Where Heritage Meets Modernity

The Philosophy of Nilpar Gallery

Nilpar Gallery is conceived as a space where heritage and modernity are not opposed, but held in continuous dialogue. Rooted in Persian visual traditions and shaped by contemporary sensibilities, the gallery exists to honour historical knowledge while allowing it to evolve.

At the heart of Nilpar Gallery is a commitment to craftsmanship, slowness, and meaning. The works presented here draw from ornamental languages such as Eslimi and illuminated patterning, not as decoration, but as vessels of memory, devotion, and continuity. These visual systems, refined over centuries, are reinterpreted through contemporary materials, scale, and restraint.

Nilpar Gallery views art as an act of remembrance and transformation. Each work is created through deliberate, material-focused processes, often involving handmade surfaces, natural pigments, and gold. The gallery is not simply a place to display objects, but a contemplative environment that invites viewers to slow down, look closely, and encounter beauty as a form of quiet resistance in an accelerated world.

The Visionary

Nilpar Gallery is led by artist Niloofar K. Afshar, whose practice forms the conceptual and aesthetic foundation of the gallery. Her work bridges traditional Persian illumination with contemporary painting, creating pieces that are meditative, symbolic, and deeply personal.

Artist Bio:

Early Life & Inspiration

Niloofar Afshar is an Iranian-born artist whose work weaves memory, heritage, and emotion into intricate, dreamlike compositions. Growing up in Iran, she was immersed in the ornate world of Persian patterns, found in tiled mosques, traditional rugs, illuminated manuscripts, and even the smallest household objects. These patterns weren’t just decoration; they were a living language, a sacred geometry that became embedded in her sense of identity.

Her earliest inspiration came from her mother, a realist painter who worked with oil on canvas. As a child, Niloofar would sit quietly watching her mother paint in her finest clothes, music playing softly in the background. It was in those moments, where joy and creativity briefly transcended hardship, that the seed of her artistic calling was planted. Though her mother later gave up painting due to the demands of single parenthood, the imprint she left remained powerful and lasting.

Education & Qualifications

Niloofar’s journey into art was not a linear one. Initially, she pursued a practical career in technology, completing Microsoft IT certifications in Iran and earning a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Security from Middlesex University in the UK. Yet, the pull of art never faded. It appeared in the margins of her notebooks, in gifts for friends, and in the poetry she wrote to hold emotions that defied spoken language.

Years later, she returned to her creative roots with full commitment, earning a Bachelor of Arts and Design from Unitec Institute of Technology in New Zealand, followed by an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design from Swinburne University of Melbourne, and a Certificate in Interior Design from the IDI Education Centre.

To reconnect more deeply with her heritage, Niloofar studied under master artists of Persian traditional arts. She completed a full certification in Tazhib (Persian illumination art) from the Shidnegar Institution, under the direct mentorship of master Mohsen Aghamiri, whose signature she proudly holds on her certificate.

Artistic Style & Process

Afshar works primarily with gouache and gold on handcrafted Japanese paper mounted to board. Her process is slow, material-driven, and deeply meditative. Surfaces are prepared by hand using traditional starch adhesives; pigments are often mixed from dry colour and metallic powders; compositions emerge through repetition, precision, and controlled variation.

While her work draws heavily on Persian visual heritage, it is firmly situated within a contemporary context. Patterns are isolated, expanded, and reimagined, allowing ornament itself to become the subject. Birds, gardens, and spiralling forms recur throughout her work as symbolic motifs, guardians, thresholds, and spaces of inner refuge.

Her practice reflects a diasporic sensibility: a constant negotiation between past and present, continuity and change. Each work functions as a quiet offering, an invitation to pause, reflect, and inhabit a space where memory and imagination coexist.

With over ten years of experience across design, art direction, and creative development, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to every project, whether it’s on canvas, in print, or a digital environment.

Artist Statement

“My art is a fusion of tradition and innovation. Every line and color I choose tells a story that transcends borders, memories, and time. Through my work, I reconnect with my roots and share that experience with others.”

The Gallery Co-Director & Curator

Reza Negarestani serves as Studio & Gallery Co-Director and Curator at Nilpar Gallery. His role encompasses the material, editorial, and structural foundations of the gallery, supporting the preparation of handmade painting surfaces, paint-making processes, artwork handling, and framing coordination.

As Curator, he contributes to the development of the gallery’s program through research, writing, and the publication of selected essays, as well as through curatorial dialogue that shapes how works are contextualised and presented. He also oversees the ongoing development and maintenance of the Nilpar Gallery website.

Nilpar Gallery remains an artist-led platform guided by Niloofar K. Afshar’s practice and artistic vision, strengthened by a collaborative studio structure built on care, precision, and long-term continuity.