Crown of Flames, a new solo exhibition by Iranian-American artist Shiva Ahmadi, is on view at Haines Gallery from March 13 - April 25, 2026.

Crown of Flames continues the artist's exploration of conflict, corruption, and instability, informed by her own experiences—from her formative years in Iran during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, to living as an Iranian immigrant in the United States post-9/11—and by the current news cycle. Across painting, sculpture, and video, Ahmadi fuses formal beauty with an undercurrent of violence, drawing uneasy parallels between her brightly painted scenes and global issues of war, resource extraction, and the rise of authoritarian regimes.

The exhibition debuts Ahmadi's fourth animation, also titled Crown of Flames, a contemporary parable about land grabs and resource wars, and the consequences for individuals and the environment.

A selection of images from the show can be found here.

The works in this timely exhibition serve as both personal testimony and global allegory, suggesting the necessity of seeing clearly—and refusing to look away.