The Third Line, Dubai (14 Nov 2023 - 5 Jan 2024) Nima Nabavi and Jason Seife: Duality

Both Nabavi and Seife think in colour, shape, and line. Each pairing of canvases, from Tenet to Civic, Radar and Level are mixed and matched, but not exact. The strictest aspect of each coupling of works is the precise dimensions of each canvas as being the same, be it a classic rectangle or an experimental long diamond.

Nima Nabavi and Jason Seife, Noon, Archival ink, oil and acrylic on canvas, 157.5 x 157.5 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Nima Nabavi and Jason Seife, Noon, Archival ink, oil and acrylic on canvas, detail / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Nima Nabavi and Jason Seife, Noon, Archival ink, oil and acrylic on canvas, detail / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Whilst the foundational proportions were shared, both artists agreed upon the works being cousins and not siblings. There is enough of a similarity to begin to draw out a familial relationship from one work to another, but not enough that they become each other’s mirror image. The conceit is, therefore, more sophisticated: they are the same, but different.

Geometry was the pair’s common ground. Even the works themselves can be seen to be created in parallel: a call and response between Seife and Nabavi’s own particular approaches to how colour and form can be shaped. Even the title of each piece is an extension of these interrelated concepts of commonality and departure. Each work is named with an evocative palindrome shared between pairings. The structure of the letters themselves is even considered from a design approach, envisaged as an extension of the works themselves. Much like the companion pieces, the titular words are the same thing seen from a different perspective.

Nima Nabavi, Tenet, 2023, Archival ink on canvas, 92 x 177.7 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Jason Seife, Tenet, 2023, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 91.5 x 181.2 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Nima Nabavi, Radar, 2023, Archival ink on canvas, 84 x 95 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Jason Seife, Radar, 2023, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, 83.2 x 95 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Up close, the detail is rich and even more complex than either artist had attempted before. There is a subtlety of matching elements in response to one another. There may be a corner of blue, or a hexagon of orange, that at once appears bold as brass to Seife’s eye that becomes a gauzy layering of tones in Nabavi’s execution. Ultimately, they work in very different mediums, and although they may mirror one another structurally, the works retain the telltale idiosyncrasies of their maker’s approach. Seife’s work is bold in its flatness and opacity, with pools of pure colour and satisfyingly smooth outlines crafted in a way that is resoundingly painterly. Whereas Nabavi works inward in a process of the repeated layering of lines using multicoloured ink pens in sharp, almost scientific precision. There is room for plenty of tension, perhaps, in these juxtapositions, but in keeping each work’s independence they avoid direct conflict. Working in tandem like this is hugely revealing. It entails a tangible sense of mutual respect and the deep knowing of someone else which extends, at its most intimate, into the anticipation of their next move. What results is a symbiosis that becomes a pas de deux (step of two).

Nima Nabavi, Civic, 2023, Archival ink on canvas, 92.2 x 94.4 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Jason Seife, Civic, 2023, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, 94.5 x 94.7 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Nima Nabavi

Born in Iran in 1978, Nima Nabavi is a self-taught Iranian-American artist who was raised in the United Arab Emirates. Even though he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business and was an independent business owner for 20 years – he unexpectedly changed paths in 2016 inspired by the geometric art of his late grandfather. He is now based in Dubai, where he dedicates himself to an art practice driven by a mathematical approach and a contemplative execution of intricate geometries.

Selected solo exhibitions include Visiting, Roswell Museum, New Mexico, USA (2023); 1,2,3, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE (2018). Selected group exhibitions include; Geometry and Art in The Modern Middle East, Misk Art Institute Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2023); Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival – ‘Graduate’, Sharjah Museum of Art, Sharjah, UAE (2022); Ways of Seeing Abstraction - Works from the Deutsche Bank Collection, Palais Populaire, Berlin, Germany (2021); There is Fiction In The Space Between, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE (2020); Crafting Geometry: Abstract Art from South and West Asia, Sotheby’s, New York, USA (2020); Fragments, Yesterday and Today, Gateway, Abu Dhabi Art, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2019); Your Favorite Artist's Favorite Artist #2, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, USA (2019); Horizon, Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival, Sharjah, UAE (2018).

Nima's work is part of private and public collections, including the Deutsche Bank Collection, Berlin, Germany and the Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai, UAE.

Nima Nabavi, Level, 2023, 2023, Archival ink on canvas, 189 x 79.2 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Jason Seife, Level, 2023, 2023, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 190.5 x 78.5 x 5 cm, framed / Courtesy of The Third Line and the artists

Jason Seife

The intricate patterns of traditional Persian carpets and arabesques formed lasting childhood memories for Seife, who was born to immigrant parents from Syria and Cuba. Seife meticulously hand paints his original designs. Despite being inspired by tradition, he makes use of unconventional materials such as reinforced concrete, allowing his work to be appreciated by broader audiences. Yet, the historical significance behind the work remains particularly important to Seife who admires the ability of traditional weavers to incorporate hidden meaning in their designs. These ancient designs were able to link to specific cultural identities, geographies and communities. Seife has followed in these footsteps, creating his own concealed language. The colours and patterns he uses are reflections of his mood, relating to his emotional state of mind.

Selected solo exhibitions include Coming to Fruition, Pérez Art Museum Miami, US (2023); Generascope, Tabari Art Space, in collaboration with ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai, UAE (2022); Carlo Bilotti Museum, Rome, Italy (2022). Selected group exhibitions include; Traditions Interrupted, Museum of Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX (2023); Traditions Interrupted, Katonah Museum of Art Katonah, NY (2022); Beyond Borders, Unit London, UK (2019).