Goli Mahallati’s triumphant spirit and newly found freedom to express herself is evident in her paintings by the proud stateliness of her independent figures, the emotional connection between couples and joyous gatherings of friends. She was strongly impacted by her multi-cultural surroundings as a young girl raised in Persia. Leaving her birthplace to seek opportunities that were not in accord to young women under an ultra-conservative government, Goli settled in Massachusetts where she earned a MA degree. She currently lives in California where she devotes herself to painting.

As art conveys emotions and feelings universal and personal to an artist, Goli’s work also expresses our individuality and ability to overcome all obstacles, hoping for a world in which all people express themselves freely. Her figures are a reflection of her own journey to light and freedom achieved by her determination not to accept limitations imposed by others. This is a strength that reaches out to us when one views her artwork.

Her most recent originals are constantly evolving, enriched by the use of earth tones combined with brighter hues. She paints with a palette knife to create textured canvases from which abstracts and human forms emerge. Goli uses rejoicing figures and birds of different colors in her compositions in order to symbolize freedom.