The Art Gallery at Rivier University presents “The Art of Jafar Shoja”
Nov. 8, 2012 – NASHUA, N.H. – Following a successful first exhibition for the academic year, The Art Gallery at Rivier University will present its next exhibition, titled “The
Art of Jafar Shoja,” in two separate presentations – with part one running from Nov. 12 through Dec. 10, and part two from Jan. 22 through Feb. 27.
A prolific artist whose work has created a significant legacy for Rivier University, the greater Nashua area, and beyond, Professor Emeritus Jafar Shoja retired from the Rivier faculty in 1988. He previously served as Executive Director of the Arts and Science Center in downtown Nashua. Widely exhibited in the United States, and the recipient of distinguished awards for his work, he pursued higher education in art in both his native Iran and Michigan's Cranbrook Academy of Art. His most recent work, 105 illustrations for “The Rubaiyait” of Omar Khayyam, reflects his early background as pupil of a renowned master of Persian miniature painting.
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Exhibited at Rivier in two consecutively scheduled installations will be selections from Shoja's energetic and exploratory career: 'miniatures', paintings, drawings,
and sculptures. Part two will highlight several large paintings on sociopolitical themes.
“Jafar Shoja is a distinguished local artist whose work is varied in both style and content,” said Sister Theresa Couture, p.m., Director of The Art Gallery at Rivier
University.
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Shoja's honors include selection of one of his drawings by Steuben Glass for translation into engraved crystal. This piece was included in an exhibition, Asian Artists in Crystal, shown at the National Gallery of Art in Washington,
D.C., and also at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Also, his design of a medallion was selected for the New Hampshire Governor's Award of Distinction, and illustrations by him were published in “Le Vrai Visage D'Omar Khayyam,” a book by Khosrow Varasteh, Administration Generale des Beaux-Arts, Tehran, Iran.
A gallery talk by the artist is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. at the Art Gallery.
The Art Gallery at Rivier University showcases the accomplishments of nationally and internationally
acclaimed artists and craftpersons, as well as works from the collections of distinguished art museums, galleries, and private collectors. The gallery is located on the second floor of Memorial Hall and is open Mondays, Wednesdays,
and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., and on Fridays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Information about these exhibitions and accompanying Art Gallery events are available on the website of The Art Gallery at Rivier University: www.rivier.edu/artgallery.
