Perspectives from Gallerists. Interview with Aria Eghbal from Aria Gallery

Established in 1992 in Tehran, Aria Gallery has been a cornerstone of modern and contemporary visual arts. In 2016, it expanded to include a Jewelry Department, showcasing contemporary pieces and organizing the annual Tehran Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition.

In this exclusive interview, founder and director Aria Eghbal shares her journey, the inspirations behind the gallery's evolving focus, and her thoughts on the intersection of art, jewelry, and cultural heritage. From the challenges of carving a space for contemporary jewelry in Iran to the gallery's participation in international platforms, Eghbal offers a compelling glimpse into the Gallery’s mission and its plans for the future, including the much-anticipated launch of Aria Contemporary Jewelry Week and the foundation of an institution. 


How would you define Aria Gallery’s selection and your role as a gallery owner?
As the founder and director of Aria Gallery, I use my experience and artistic taste as a visual artist to curate exhibitions and set policies for organizing alternative art classes at Aria. However, I always incorporate the opinions and assistance of numerous artists, critics, and curators to plan the gallery’s activities, symposiums, and educational programs.


What motivated the inclusion of Contemporary Jewellery in your collection in 2016?
Aria Gallery and Art School began its activities in 1992 with a focus on showcasing works of visual arts and, since 2002, has offered alternative art education. Alongside the visual arts, we have always paid attention to applied arts and design and their relationship with visual arts. Over the years, "small sculptures," "wearable sculptures," and "artistic jewelry" have been part of the exhibitions and educational programs of the gallery.

The establishment of Mahe-Mehr Art Institute in 2005 by Aria Eghbal, alongside two colleagues, brought a focus on education and exhibitions in these fields. This included organizing classes by prominent artists such as Parviz Tanavoli, a sculptor and jewelry artist, as well as related exhibitions.

In 2015, Aria Gallery proposed and planned the Tehran Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition, focusing on artistic jewelry while aligning with international standards, particularly in relation to Munich Jewelry Week. This initiative emerged through consistent collaboration with Rouhollah Shamsizadeh, a sculptor and jewelry designer.
With correspondence and coordination with AJF Foundation and the efforts of Rebecca Frank, Kevin Murray joined the exhibition team. The first exhibition was held in 2016 with a selection committee comprising Kevin Murray, Rouhollah Shamsizadeh, and Abdolnaser Giv Ghasab, a sculptor and jewelry designer. Since then, five editions have been organized, and the sixth is scheduled for March 2025.

Tehran’s Second Contemporary Artistic Jewelry Exhibition.


Regarding your participation with the collective Jwahr, New Iranian and Persian Jewelry at PREZIOSA 2017 in Florence, the article presented the exhibition: 
“We offered space to artists from a country that does not have an established history of contemporary jewellery research. Most visitors understood this spirit and did not make qualitative comparisons between the works by these artists and those from countries with a longer history of contemporary jewellery.”
Would you share more about the state of contemporary jewellery in Iran? How do you balance this notion with the country’s rich tradition in jewellery-making?
The Preziosa 2017 exhibition in Florence was proposed and curated by Kevin Murray following the first Tehran Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition organized by Aria Gallery in 2016. It was essentially the first international exhibition of Iranian artists under the title of contemporary jewelry.
However, as historical accounts show, artistic jewelry-making in Iran dates back to earlier times. Iranian visual artists have been creating artistic jewelry since the 1960s, contemporaneously with modernist artists worldwide, including figures like Parviz Tanavoli, Monir Farmanfarmaian or Nasser Oveissi.

Contemporary jewelry in Iran benefits from the rich legacy of classical jewelry and the active involvement of visual artists in the domains of artistic and modern jewelry. Today, this field covers a wide community of jewelry artists and enthusiasts. Specialized exhibitions and academic research projects related to contemporary jewelry-making are actively ongoing.

Aria Gallery, as a specialized institution for contemporary jewelry in Iran, complements its exhibitions with educational programs, including hands-on technical workshops and theoretical classes on contemporary jewelry. Additionally, the gallery organizes specialized meetings, symposiums, and national and international panel discussions as part of its activities.

Preziosa 2017 - Florence Jewellery Week. A collaboration with Le Arte Orafe Jewelry School & Academy.


Aria Gallery has hosted five Contemporary Jewellery Exhibitions up to 2023. What are the core concepts behind these exhibitions? Will you continue this annual event? And have they helped create or build a loyal clientele? 
The five editions of the Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition have been organized with several key objectives. These include identifying the potentials of contemporary artistic jewelry-making in Iran and introducing current trends. The exhibitions aim to explore contemporary artistic practices in jewelry-making, focusing on ideas, technology, and visual structures. They seek to foster a fresh perspective through a creative approach to material selection, composition, and construction.
They emphasize enhancing visual and artistic quality in relation to the concepts of contemporary life. They highlight the potential of contemporary jewelry as an artistic medium and consider the artistic value of jewelry as an object beyond its decorative function. Finally, the exhibitions provide opportunities for artists to engage on national and international platforms.

The selection of works for the exhibitions is based on several key criteria. These include the piece's ability to interact with the body as its presentation context, as well as its visual qualities, such as the creative use of visual elements, color, texture, and composition. The conceptual, semantic, and narrative aspects of the work are also considered, alongside the innovative use of materials and technologies in construction and connections.

Works are displayed in formats such as bracelets, brooches, earrings, necklaces, rings, and objects related to the body or the concept of contemporary jewelry-making.
Since 2016, Aria Gallery has organized the Tehran Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition periodically and plans to continue this effort. Over the years, supporters and sponsors have joined the project. Aria intends to expand its interactions with supporters, audiences, and clients in both national and international spheres.


Which feedback could you share from your participation in Frame last year? Will you reiterate the experience next year?
We received overwhelming interest from attendees, many of whom expressed a desire to see our artists’ works at the next edition of Frame. Additionally, the valuable feedback from other participating galleries about Aria Gallery further encouraged us to decide to participate again this year

Aria Gallery at Frame, Handwerk & Design 2024.


I’ve noticed your recent participation in the Abu Dhabi Fair, where you showcased paintings. Could you share more about how audiences differ between art fairs and jewellery or craft fairs, and how your selection is received across various regions, including the Middle East and Europe?
Due to Aria Gallery’s long-standing experience in showcasing visual arts and participating in international exhibitions in the U.S., Europe, China, and the UAE, our audience and collectors are already familiar with and connected to our activities.
However, our experience in international jewelry and craft exhibitions is more limited. I hope to soon be able to provide a more accurate response to this question.


As gallery owners active in both primary and secondary markets, how do you contribute to the secondary market? Have you ever attended an auction?
We present works by visual artists in the secondary market, including auctions, but we have not participated in any auctions related to jewelry or crafts.


What are the highlights or key projects planned for Aria Gallery next year?
We plan to continue our annual exhibitions titled “Revisiting Modern Iranian Art,” which have been held for nearly a decade, as well as exhibitions for contemporary artists. Additionally, we will organize the first edition of Aria Contemporary Jewelry Week, with a focus on symposiums introducing the fields of design, crafts, and jewelry.
We also aim to lay the groundwork for the opening of the Aria Museum of Contemporary Jewelry.

Aria Gallery's Exterior.