Black and white images reflect the technicolour of today’s politics

Untitled (2017). Oil on canvas. Afshin Pirhashemi

Violence and the politics of mass media are at the heart of House of Cards, the latest exhibition from Tehran-based artist Afshin Pirhashemi. Rendered in black and white, these excellently crafted oil paintings attempt to capture the state of current social and political affairs by tying in several references and leaving the mood theatrical. Architectural monuments like the White House and the Statue of Liberty reference the recent US election and symbols of wealth mix with elements of nature. Armies on horseback swathe in the rear of the paintings – an ancient but visceral image denoting threat and bloody battle. Female gun-wielding protagonists feature in all, subverting gender norms and also perhaps referencing the deep-seated infiltration of conflict in our current way of life.

The title suggests that catastrophe is looming and looking at the expressions of Pirhashemi’s muses, it is a certainty.

There not long left to catch this show. Afshin Pirhashemi, House of Cards runs until May 25 at Ayyam Gallery, DIFC