Shahin Sharafaldin: redefining masculinity and sensuality

Ivan Gallery from Bucharest will present the work of Shahin Sharafaldin at Art Rotterdam (28-30 March 2025). His work will be shown in the New Art Section, which was curated by Övül Ö. Durmuşoğlu. In his paintings, Sharafaldin explores representations of masculinity and queer identity, deliberately challenging overly homogeneous and simplistic depictions. His figurative practice navigates the space between intimacy and monumentality, with a focus on the physical and the imaginary.

Sharafaldin’s sensitive and layered work delves into themes of friendship, homosexuality, connection, desire and utopian ideals, while also offering a critical reflection on the ways in which identity is shaped and perceived. His approach to queerness is distinctly intersectional: he is fascinated by its nuances, depth and complexity, viewing it through the lens of class, race, gender and nationality. This perspective also compels him to examine broader societal structures, such as heteronormativity and patriarchal power dynamics.

Sharafaldin’s vivid oil paintings are composed with a carefully calibrated palette, creating a sensuous tension that balances strength and vulnerability. His figurative canvases depict both idealised and everyday scenes: a dreamlike figure reclining on a rock, an unguarded moment in a bedroom, or an explicitly erotic encounter between two bodies.

The setting often plays a crucial role in his work. Sharafaldin deliberately pushes the boundaries between private and public spheres, sometimes allowing the background to take centre stage. In some paintings, the viewer is offered a still, intimate glimpse into shadow-filled rooms. Melancholic, sometimes even oppressive interiors, where absence becomes a palpable presence. Tattered curtains rippling in soft light, beds that seem to carry the weight of memory — these are recurring motifs in his paintings.

Sharafaldin also portrays homosexual bodies that simply exist. In “Heatwave” (2023), a work that will be exhibited at Art Rotterdam, he presents a nude figure that isn’t posing for the gaze of another but is just existing in a moment of repose — a subtle yet resonant expression of queer representation. The composition shows a nude male figure reclining in a lounge chair, immersed in complete relaxation. The scene exudes an air of nonchalance and self-contentment, with the figure entirely turned inward. The way Sharafaldin renders the body — hairy, at ease, in an unselfconscious pose — stands in stark contrast to traditional representations of masculinity in art history. This is not a heroic or idealised nude but rather a candid moment of contemporary life.

Sharafaldin’s painterly technique accentuates the interplay between realism and expressivity. Loose, visible brushstrokes add texture to skin and fabric, while the contours of the body are rendered with meticulous precision. The surrounding green tones in the background and upholstery envelop the figure, creating a sense of unity with the space. The smartphone in his hands and the headphones on his head anchor the work firmly in the present, reinforcing a sense of introspection and isolation.

At times, Sharafaldin’s work evokes echoes of classical painting traditions — baroque chiaroscuro, symbolist undertones, a vitalist energy — while simultaneously integrating contemporary queer perspectives. Through this layered approach, he challenges both the conventions of art history and the norms of queer representation.

Shahin Sharafaldin was born in Vancouver in 1995. He lived in Montreal until recently: he relocated to London last summer. He studied Fine Arts and Curatorial Practice at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver and in 2016, he spent a period at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. His work has been exhibited in Canada and the United States, and in 2021 he completed a residency at Céline Bureau in Montreal. With his participation in Art Rotterdam, he makes his debut in the Netherlands, placing his work within a broader European context.

Shahin Sharafaldin’s work will be presented by Ivan Gallery in the New Art Section at Art Rotterdam.

Written by Flor Linckens