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By K Futur TREИDNSETTERSDerby, 8 August 2025 – A heady mix of paint, sound and raw emotion filled Dubrek Studios last night as Derby welcomed the opening of A New Landscape / The Odds of the Universe, a bold new exhibition by Iranian-born artist Venus Behjati.
The launch event was no quiet gallery affair. As guests stepped into the intimate Bridge Street venue, they were met with the rhythmic swell of improvised music and the sight of Behjati before a large blank canvas. Over the next hour, her brush danced to the pulse of the live score, creating an evolving composition in sync with each shift in tone. The result was an intense, almost theatrical interplay where colour answered melody and shape responded to tempo, holding the audience spellbound.
Behjati, who relocated to the UK in 2020, describes her art as an extension of her life. It is rooted in deeply personal experiences of love, loss, resilience and the pursuit of creation. Her work bridges existentialism, social commentary and the struggles of her homeland, exploring the fragility of existence and the complex relationship between identity, freedom and oppression.
Central to A New Landscape is the sun, which represents life, energy and sustaining warmth, and the female body, particularly the vagina, which Behjati uses as a potent metaphor for creation, mystery and resilience. Her surreal imagery frequently draws on dream visions populated by hybrid creatures, human–animal–plant forms that unsettle as much as they intrigue. This ambiguity reflects the sacredness and mystery of the female form while confronting the societal and generational cycles of abuse faced by women in Iran.
The exhibition, which runs until 14 September, showcases drawings and paintings that blur the lines between waking reality and subconscious visions. The works invite viewers to sharpen their awareness of life’s essentials such as sunlight, water and nourishment. They also encourage reflection on the contradictions inherent in the human condition.
Visitors on opening night could also purchase a beautifully designed exhibition catalogue, A New Landscape / The Odds of the Universe. It features high-quality prints of Behjati’s works alongside text exploring her themes and process. For those wishing to support her practice more directly, QR codes displayed in the gallery linked to her GoFundMe fundraiser and social media. This gives audiences a way to help bring future projects to life and stay connected with her evolving work.
Dubrek Studios is known for its commitment to cross-disciplinary creativity. It proved an ideal setting for such an immersive debut. The crowd lingered long after the last brushstroke, drifting between the finished piece from the live session and the surrounding works. Many paused to discuss the layered symbolism Behjati weaves into each canvas.
“It was like stepping inside her mind for an hour,” one attendee remarked. “The music wasn’t just background. It was part of the painting.”
With A New Landscape, Venus Behjati has transformed a Derby gallery into a dreamscape. It is a place where sound, symbol and story merge into a vision that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant.
