Niloofar Afshar is an Iranian born, Sydney based artist whose practice weaves together Persian visual heritage and contemporary artistic expression. Her work explores themes of memory, emotion, and cultural identity, drawing deeply on the ornamental language of Persian patterns encountered throughout her upbringing in Iran.

Growing up surrounded by intricate tilework, textile motifs, and decorative arts, Niloofar developed an early sensitivity to pattern and ornament. Her formative artistic influence came from her mother, a realist oil painter whose practice embodied art as emotional expression.

Niloofar’s works are characterised by a dreamlike synthesis of heritage and modernity. She works with carefully prepared surfaces, often using handmade paper adhered to illustration board with starch, and allows materials to rest and settle before painting. Her painting process includes the preparation of custom gouache pigments, frequently incorporating gold and bound with Arabic gum, reinforcing the handcrafted and layered nature of her practice.

Through the fusion of Persian motifs with contemporary techniques, Niloofar creates visual spaces that reflect both resilience and introspection, works that hold themes of longing, healing, and hope. Her practice invites viewers into an in between world where memory and identity are translated into pattern, material, and light.