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When Sholeh Janati left Tehran in 1988, the Iraq-Iran war was just ending and the Middle East was in a state of perpetual uncertainty.

A single mother of a 4-year-old, she settled in Westport, and channeled her emotions, perspectives and thoughts into art. Now, she is recognized worldwide for her paintings and earned praise from a variety of American and European critics.

“I left my country with my daughter and came here and started a life as a single mother,” Janati said. “Painting was the best way for me to express my feelings and the future I was looking forward to. There were many hardships before that.”

Her paintings, usually acrylic and mixed media, are spontaneous and free-flowing, Janati said. She rotates the canvas as she paints, an effort to achieve balance and create four paintings in one as the viewer can rotate and hang it in any direction they choose. Janati is known for bold brushstrokes and vibrant colors found in Europe, the Middle East and North American art. Her paintings regularly sell for between $1,000 and $12,000, depending on the size.


 

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