The Studio

INTRODUCTION

Nilpar Gallery operates as an artist-led studio grounded in material knowledge, curatorial clarity, and long-term vision. The studio is conceived not merely as a production facility, but as a structure that supports research, preparation, documentation, and careful presentation.

Each work is shaped through a collaborative process that values slowness, precision, and continuity. Materials, surfaces, framing, writing, and context are treated as integral parts of the artistic practice rather than secondary considerations.

Curatorial Direction

Niloofar K. Afshar

Niloofar Afshar's artistic practice and vision guide Nilpar Gallery. Her work draws on Persian illumination and ornamental traditions to explore memory, devotion, and contemporary identity through slow, material-focused processes.

Working primarily with gouache and gold on handcrafted surfaces, Afshar reinterprets historical visual languages within a contemporary framework. Her practice is rooted in continuity rather than reproduction, allowing inherited forms to remain alive through transformation, restraint, and care.

The Gallery Co-Director & Curator

Reza Negarestani

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.

STUDIO PRACTICE

The studio operates through deliberate, hands-on processes that prioritise material integrity and longevity. Surface preparation, pigment handling, framing, and documentation are treated as extensions of the artwork itself.

This approach reflects the gallery’s commitment to craftsmanship and to the belief that how a work is made, supported, and presented is inseparable from its meaning. The studio serves as a place of care for materials, context, and the future life of each work.

Nilpar Gallery understands the studio as both a working environment and a curatorial structure one that supports the creation, interpretation, and preservation of meaningful contemporary art.