Artistic Expression from 2008 - 2020



There was a moment in 2012, while Keyan was practicing Tax as an accountant for a world renowned firm, Big 4, where there was an opportunity to showcase art work for the Dallas Business Art Council. During that moment, he was struggling in a turning point personally in his career that had him left questioning what he would be leaving behind in his life to his family and son besides paperwork from a tax practice that no one would see or be moving enough for anyone to appreciate.

So, he made the decision to dig his hands back into being an artist, after having been selected as best in show with the Dallas Business Arts Council from an older work that was presented as he hadn't painted since 2008, when the show was in 2012.

Since then, over 200 works have been created, possibly more, some as masterpieces, some as color and object studies and others just as an emotional expression to simply a bad day or even a good day. For him, it has been a joy and an excitement for the future to see the possible potential of standing amongst some of the greats now and in the future and to see how his work will take shape for years to come.



Oil Pastels and the Sea:

In 2018 Keyan was exploring the nature of cause and effect of using oil based pastels and their aesthetics on seascape scenery. In the series, "Destination Certain" this piece reflects the coming of age and wisdom of his turmoil in the rear view of his life being from an exhaustive divorce in 2008. Something that lasted longer than it should have. The expression of bold colors here with the contrast and detail of the clouds and sea is the representation of continuing the professional career he once started as early as 1999 and his expression of the "Raft of the Medusa." from the early 19th century.



Empathy as an Artistic Expression:

This Keyna Ghafar Painting, "Elemental" is an empthatic expression of work that was comissioned by a Dallas Attorney in 2015. As Keyan was meeting with the collector, he asked an unusual question. He asked "Lindsey, what kind of Music do you listen to?" She responded with Indie Rock. She then asked him why and he mentioned that he would play her music and see what comes through the paint and brush. And so this abstraction of a landscape painting was borne to her satisfaction.



Live Painting at the Sheraton

Having found his stroke and style, Keyan is depicted here of painting "Duress" at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Fort Worth in 2018. This painting is a discussion of descisions good or bad that are made in cases where stress is involved and the surrealistic images that are depicted reveal the difference between that which is a desire and the stress of providing what would be a necessity or a want in life.