Fifi Howls from Happiness 

Curator: Immediately, there's this visceral, almost painful, vibrancy leaping out at me from Bahman Mohasses’ work. The striking boldness in its composition and color choice creates a very arresting visual experience. Editor: Indeed, what we have here is “Fifi Howls from Happiness”, an oil painting characterized by a strong emphasis on figuration and modernism. It displays a peculiar intensity through its use of impasto and portrait-like form. Curator: You say happiness, but that hollow space where the face should be, it’s far from joyful. It reminds me of Edvard Munch's "The Scream," a raw, unadulterated expression of internal turmoil, only shrouded in a deceptive hue of 'happiness.' What is with this feeling, so powerfully depicted by Mohasses? Editor: Mohasses expertly plays with this kind of semiotic ambiguity. The visual tension stems precisely from the ironic title juxtaposed against the visceral horror evoked by the artwork. Consider how the rough, textured paint application mimics the turbulent state of the figure’s supposed ecstatic cry. The deep red colour of the body is dominating this almost pale green background; moreover the composition itself draws focus onto the center, giving an insight to a silent shriek. Curator: It's as though the painting wants to reveal something hidden, some truth buried beneath the surface of societal facade. That's quite captivating and maybe slightly frightening. Do you think Mohasses aims for such reactions? Editor: Mohasses intentionally constructs meaning through stylistic manipulation and philosophical musings, reflecting a deliberate disruption of normative aesthetic experience. But to suggest one "aim" may reduce the richness that open-ended works like this can offer the viewer; Mohasses pushes figuration into nearly unrecognizable abstract forms. The form of the screaming being makes us dive in and contemplate the artist's view of emotion. Curator: Fair point, but still... that disembodied head! Or rather, the lack thereof, just the hollow darkness staring back… The artwork makes me ponder about freedom, and confinement: A space to either let out or to scream into. Thank you for enlightening my viewing! Editor: Indeed, its bold and emotive elements prompt us to reconsider established paradigms of emotional expression in art, inviting critical discourse. Thank you.