The Naked Experience is a limited engagement duo fine arts exhibition featuring works from Foad Seyed Mohammadi and Christopher Ryan.
This exhibition will run from Friday June 16th through Sunday June 17th, 2023.
Special Engagement:
The Naked Experience will serve as a backdrop for the LMNL Summer Fest After-Hours event on Saturday, June 17th, from 9 p.m. to midnight. This event is free and open to the public, but must be 21 years of age or older to attend.
- Deejay
- Naked Silhouettes (pose nude in private while your silhouette is revealed to the audience)
Foad Seyed Mohammadi
“We live in a a society filled with constraints and restrictions. We are dictated to many limits. Who compels us to choose a place to reside? Control systems impact various aspects of our lives: our food, entertainment, books, news sources, the paths we travel, the clothing we wear, manipulating our perception. The captivating concept of the naked body is as a reflection of freedom from these chains.
Through my work, I seek to invite the viewer to unchain their minds. I celebrate the grace, strength while drawing inspiration from the natural world.
By capturing the curves, lines, and textures of the human form, I aim to highlight the profound connection between the human body and the organic elements that surround us. I play with seduction and sensuality as it’s the beginning of life itself.”
Bio
Foad began his artistic career as a photographer and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion at the Art University of Tehran, Iran. Image connotation became a significant factor in his work during the creation of installations and the photos he took. He then got his MA in Art Research in Iran.
In the United States he got his MFA at the University of Florida. As a foreigner, he became drawn to situations that revealed the construction of what society considers valuable, moral, or normal; he considers himself an artist without borders.
He utilizes and blends a variety of forms and materials such as print, digital images, drawings, constructed images, projection, and sculptures in order to connect ideas between each form. He approaches materials indiscriminately, striving to create a space in which the viewer’s role becomes part of the work itself.
Bio written by Patty Paola.
Christopher Ryan
“I was born and raised in a nudist family, have been modeling as a fine arts nude model for over 30 years, competed on stage and the catwalk as a bodypaint model internationally, and am honored to introduce others to the art of nude modeling through my photography.”
Bio
Christopher Ryan (b. Mobile, AL, 1968) is an international conceptual portrait photographer, and owner of Arabi Visual Arts (studio & gallery). He started capturing the world around him at the age of 10 with a $1 yard-sale camera. His first time to study photography in an academic setting was not until 2015 at San Diego City College. His works are known for their emotional impact that transports viewers to remote villages around the world and present a wide array of ethnicities, religions, socio-economic levels, and lifestyles.
After studying photography at SDCC, Chris dedicated the next five years to multiple self-funded photography projects which spanned four continents. These ambitious projects required careful planning, additional crew, complex transportation, and sometimes foreign government permission. Some of the titles of the series are: Youth & Urban Decay, Youthful Ambition, Teens with Tattoos, Bizarre Portraits, Focus on Feet, and Nudes in the Landscape.
In addition to the recent works described above, Chris has produced self-portraits for nearly 30 years, long before “selfies” were popular. He has also modeled for other artists & photographers for the same length of time, including many of the world’s top-ranked bodypainters.
His works has been exhibited in Thailand and the United States and he has given presentations to school children in Thailand, Colombia, Honduras, India, and the United States.
Christopher’s works are influenced by an unusual childhood which was spent working in the family’s traveling reptile show and vacationing at nudist resorts throughout the south.
After living in Thailand for four years, Christopher returned to New Orleans in 2019 with his loving husband Sinvacha Chanthala “Jiepfy”, a Buddhist ladyboy from Laos, and perpetual muse. In 2021 Christopher founded Arabi Visual Arts, a creative center in the Arabi Arts District which offers curated exhibitions, studio rentals, drawing groups, and other opportunities for the creative community.
Chris serves on the board of the ASMP Gulf South Chapter and is an active member of the New Orleans Photo Alliance, PPA, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, and the Da Vinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia. His “Nudes in the Landscape” series is featured on The Model Society.