We take a moment to chat with Reza Dashti on his Whispering Timbers exhibition at Bivouac.

Tell us about yourself and your practice as an artist
I immigrated to Australia in 2011. I was born and raised in southwest Iran, a region that was directly impacted by the Iran-Iraq war. My parents always appreciate all aspects of the arts, and as such drawing and painting have been my passion since I was a very little boy. When I was a teenager I started creating mural paintings that predominantly reflected the war conflict. Since I have been in Australia I have continued my practice, exploring different mediums and styles. 

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My new country Australia, Aboriginal lands, peaceful culture and sensational oceans have all inspired me deeply and have changed my perception of the beauty of life. There are two types of subjects that I normally paint, portraits and oceanic landscapes. I like to switch from one to another because I love them both equally. Portraits are inspired by individuals and landscapes usually are inspired by the stunning Indian ocean!

How did this collection come about? 
I usually paint in acrylic. One day I applied a thick and chunky coat of paint to a timber sheet with a palette knife as an experiment. The outcome was to me, sensational and thrilling. The texture was amazingly soft and showed three dimensions perfectly. I experimented more and more and I'm now in love with timber painting although for specific mediums or styles I still use canvas. 

I usually talk and whisper with the timbers while applying paint to them. I feel they hear me and aid me to create an emotional art piece. That’s why I called this series “Whispering with Timbers”. 

Is there a piece in the collection that holds special significance for you? 
I love all my art pieces. For the landscape collection “The Rise” is a piece that I can hear wave sounds when I look at it. From my portrait collection “Pride” is different to me because I fell in love with the portrait model.

Artist Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Karoon.colour