Banisadr’s characters are related to the extraterrestrial beings encountered in science fiction, heroes and wizards in epic quest novels, medieval bestiaries, the ghoulish creatures that Matthias Grünewald depicted in the Isenheim Altarpiece (1512-1516), and illustrated alchemical texts, just to name some of his inspirations. However, while resolution is common to many of these works, Banisadr’s figures inhabit a turbulent, alternate world in which resolution and redemption are noticeably absent.
In the 11 paintings that constitute Banisadr’s debut exhibition in China, the viewer is invited to enter cacophonous worlds and shadowy domains. Most of the paintings can be divided into two groups, with The Painting (2020 - 2024) being the exception. Each group tends to be the same size, with the smaller paintings sharing the same moody blue palette. Within each group, however thematically connected, each painting is as unique as the planets in our solar system.