The Conference of the Birds series is Ostovany's deeply personal response to the Sufi fable of the same name, written by Farideddin Attar, 12th century Persian mystic. The ethereal lightness of this painting belies the arduous journey of the flock of birds who, in the fable, endure hardships and self-doubt only to come to the realization that they themselves are their own leaders. The luminescent quality of the whites, pinks and blues, invokes a sense of flight while the piece is also grounded in the darker tones of purple and brown. This duality is the essence of journey.

Ostovany categorizes his work as Atmospheric Abstraction, navigating the terrain between Abstract Expressionism and Eastern Mystical traditions. The works featured in this show are original oil paintings influenced by Ostovany’s lifelong fascination with Sufi fables and Persian myths.

Born in Iran, Yari Ostovany moved to the United States at the age of 16 and pursued his studies in Art first at the University of Nevada - Reno and then at the San Francisco Art institute where he received his MFA in 1995. His work is in the permanent collections of many institutions including the New Britain Museum of American Art (New Britain, Connecticut), Pasargad Bank Museum (Tehran, Iran), Chateau d'Orquevaux (Champagne-Ardenne, France), Permanent Collection of the University of Nevada - Reno Art Department. Ostovany now lives and creates in the East Bay