Morteza Khakshoor's works explore the complexities of selfhood, psychological tension, and the past, through fragmented narratives and dreamlike figures. Each piece could be part of a larger story—but also exists independently, within its own self-contained universe.

There is a tension running throughout the series: a grim, brooding atmosphere that reflects both a personal headspace and a broader cultural unease. The works operate like portraits of a narrative. Figures emerge from the layers of allegory, with deeper meanings hidden beneath the surface, inviting viewers to piece together who they might be based on subtle details—posture, expression, fragments of setting. “I see myself in some of them,” Khakshoor admits, though the characters are not self-portraits in any traditional sense.

Themes of sexuality and manhood are persistent throughout Khakshoor’s wider body of work. Rather than presenting these ideas directly, he weaves them into the emotional and psychological texture of his images—surfacing in the tension between figures, in body language, and in the quiet spaces between action and expression. These undercurrents deepen the narrative possibilities of his work, inviting reflection without offering fixed interpretations. Across his work, there is an investigation into how men perform, conceal, or negotiate their emotional lives, uncovering the contradictions and emotional depth of masculinity.

Morteza Khakshoor (b. 1984 Iran) currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. He moved to the US in 2010 to continue his education in Fine Arts. He received his BFA from Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in 2015 and completed his MFA at The Ohio State University in 2018. He has been exhibiting his work nationally and internationally since 2011. Solo exhibitions include ‘The Itch’, Solito Gallery, Naples, Italy (2024); Rapscallions, Lundgren Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain (2024); ‘Pin-Drop’, Duane Thomas Gallery, NYC, USA (2023); ‘The Quiet Path To Otherwhere’, Online, Taymour Grahne Projects, London, UK (2023); ‘Stubbly Numbness’, Emma Gray HQ, Santa Monica CA (2022) and ‘Dirty Words And A Melody’, Wilder Gallery, London, UK (2022). Group exhibitions include, ‘Portrait of an Artist’, Cob Gallery, London, UK (2024); ‘Portrait of A Man’, X Museum, Beijing, China (2024); ‘Painters’ London, Half Gallery Annex, NYC, USA (2023); ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ Lundgren Gallery, Palma, Spain (2022);‘It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times’, Duane Thomas Gallery, NYC. Khakshoor was awarded The Inaugural Emerging Artist Award at the Editions/Artists’ Book Fair (E/AB) in 2018. His works are in several private and public collections, most notably X Museum, Beijing, China and The Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York City.