Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist

The Katonah Museum of Art Presents Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist, Opening March 16, 2025 A Landmark Exhibition Showcasing Two Decades of Ali Banisadr's Dazzling Multi-Disciplinary Practice

Katonah, NY, January 2025 — The Katonah Museum of Art (KMA) is proud to present Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist, the first major U.S. museum survey of the Brooklyn-based Iranian born artist Ali Banisadr. Curated by Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe, Director and Chief Curator, Katonah Museum of Art, this landmark exhibition encompasses nearly twenty years of the artist’s singular practice, from 2006 to the present, across the mediums of painting, drawing, and printmaking. A group of sculptures, a new direction for the artist, has been created for the KMA and will be presented to the public for the first time. The exhibition will be on view at the KMA from March 16 to June 29, 2025.

Ali Banisadr’s biographical history growing up amidst revolution and political unrest in Iran, his emigration to the U.S., and wide-ranging artistic influences exemplify the shifting definition of what it means to be an “American artist” today. The personal and artistic narratives across his oeuvre, distilled through a dazzling mastery of art history, philosophy, and world events, offer a nuanced perspective on human nature. Banisadr is a creator of worlds—intuitively and painstakingly constructed—that exude a vitality at once turbulent and revelatory. These microcosms are the culmination of a careful balancing act between chaos and composure, abstraction and representation. Expansive compositions are rich with figurative allusions, sonic recollection filtered through the artist’s synesthesia, invented stories, world history, collective memory, and mythology. The works’ syncopated rhythms echo a multitude of references across the history of

art—including Mesopotamian antiquities, alchemical imagery, Persian miniatures, medieval and Renaissance art, Surrealism, German Expressionism, and Abstract Expressionism—as a bellwether of our own tempestuous times. By illuminating the beauty, technical mastery, and cultural acuity of Banisadr’s vision, Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist aims to establish the artist’s role as a leading cultural scribe and a resonant voice in contemporary art.

"Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist is a powerful reflection of the KMA's dedication to presenting thought-provoking and transformative art. The KMA is honored to have organized this milestone exhibition championing one of the rising stars of our time,” said Director and Chief Curator Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue distributed by Yale University Press and featuring critical essays by leading scholars including Dr. William H. Sherman, Director, The Warburg Institute, University of London; Dr. Gražina Subelytė, Associate Curator, Peggy Guggenheim Collection; and Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe. The publication also includes a plate section annotated by Elizabeth Monti, Associate Curator, Katonah Museum of Art, and a transcribed conversation between Banisadr and noted art historian Robert Storr, offering deeper insight into the artist’s process and philosophy.

RELATED PROGRAMMING AT THE KMA

Artists in Conversation: Ali Banisadr and Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe
March 16, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Join acclaimed artist Ali Banisadr and KMA’s Director and Chief Curator Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe for an insightful conversation exploring Banisadr’s multidisciplinary influences and creative inspirations.

Artists in Conversation: Ali Banisadr and Sarah Graff, Curator, Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
April 5, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Ali Banisadr and curator Sarah Graff will discuss how images and texts from Ancient Mesopotamia inspire Banisadr’s exploration of 21st-century themes. Reception to follow.

Artists in Conversation: Ali Banisadr and Alexander Nagel, Craig Hugh Smyth Professor of Fine Arts, The Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
May 10, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Ali Banisadr and art historian Alexander Nagel will discuss how Renaissance-era ideas about art, time, and history inform Banisadr’s contemporary artistic practice. Reception to follow.