Ali Kaeini

Biography

Ali Kaeini (b. 1987, Iran; lives and works in Richmond, VA) is an Iranian artist who earned his MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, New York, NY, in 2019. His paintings reflect a religious society in turmoil, and the ancient civilization that has shaped his upbringing. Rooted in Persian epics and childhood stories, Kaeini blends ancient Iranian tales with religious motifs. His work fuses contemporary experimentation with forms reminiscent of Persian and Islamic architecture.

By blending homemade natural dyes, fabric collages, sewing, and printmaking, he reconstructs decorative elements, delving into his identity and cultural displacement. The visual tension and displacement of ancient relics and designs within his art convey his own immigration story—a fusion of belonging and non-belonging. His art has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in the US, Europe, and the Middle East, including being a finalist for the Trawick Contemporary Art Award in Bethesda in 2022 and at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, VA.

Past Exhibition

new.now. (2024)

February 10–March 16, 2024

Hamiltonian Artists’ distinguished 2023–25 fellows Ali Kaeini, Neha Misra, Hien Kat Nguyen, and Kat Thompson recontextualize cultural, religious, and political symbols and signifiers.

Past Exhibition

Kinetic (2023)

September 30–October 14, 2023

The second catalogue of Kinetic debuted with an exhibition at Hamiltonian Artists. We asked current Hamiltonian Artists fellows to nominate, and exhibit alongside, artists they admire.…