Shiva Partovi
Abstract Expressionist Persian Artist
Shiva Partovi is a Persian-born abstract expressionist painter working in acrylic and oil pastel on canvas. She left Iran as a child, and her work carries the memories she took with her: Persian turquoise, the pinks of her family’s rose garden and the carpets of her childhood home.
She is rooted in spiritual reflection and the rhythms of dance, piano, and poetry- especially Rumi, whose poems sometimes begin a painting. Shiva approaches painting as both a physical and contemplative practice. She begins after quiet reflection, painting upright on the wall or flat on the ground, her rhythm internal, brushing and marking with whatever tool the canvas asks for.
Her layered compositions unfold through intuitive gestures, luminous color, and expressive movement: shifting fields that open spaces of stillness and evoke perseverance, resilience, and the enduring capacity for hope. Ultimately the paintings invite each viewer into their own journey where vulnerability and courage can surface. For Shiva, life is lived in the moments between chaos and calm.