Y.Z. Kami, "Paintings"

The Iranian artist is well-known for portrait paintings whose stylistic qualities—direct yet nebulous in a somehow otherworldly manner—have often been compared to the Fayum mummy portraits of Ancient Egypt under Roman rule. As if to underscore the hint of spirituality imbued by these works, Kami's latest show presents them alongside paintings of praying hands, as well as canvases that depict overhead views of a tiled domed ceiling (from a temple or mosque, perhaps) illuminated by sunlight streaming through a central oculus.