Sunrise at the Vortex: Nima Nabavi

The Third Line is pleased to present Sunrise at the Vortex, the second solo exhibition by Nima Nabavi at the gallery. Featuring a selection of new works made by the artist between 2022 and 2025, the show marks a significant evolution in his practice, both conceptually and technically. Rooted in his travels to sites across the world considered to be energy centers by different communities, the works reflect Nabavi’s deepened commitment to introspection, geometry, and modes of making that embrace technology alongside traditional tools.

In Sunrise at the Vortex, Nabavi presents a series of works made using an architectural pen-plotter typically employed to print building blueprints. Hand-drawn digital compositions are rendered line-byline by the machine utilising the same tools as the artist, resulting in richly layered pieces that retain his signature intricacy while allowing for greater depth. Far from reducing his practice, technology becomes a means of enriching it, as it enables the artist to conceive and realise geometric forms that would otherwise be impossible.

As Nabavi recounts: “Growing up, he witnessed his grandfather, who was a self-taught geometric artist, no longer being able to execute his ideas – which were becoming ever-complex over the years – as his body grew weaker with age.”

This memory underscores the artist’s decision to integrate technology into his process as one not to delegate creativity, but to carve out space for introspection and experimentation, as well as to ensure its sustainability and expansion. Collectively, the works in the exhibition reflect Nabavi’s evolving relationship with his practice – one that honors both his past and the possibilities ahead.