Sasha Brodsky, Night Loggia, 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Margot Samel.

2025 has been a lot. But there’s just enough time to introduce you to three artists that have really stood out for us this year. We ask them about their past, present and future aspirations.

Sasha Brodsky

Sasha Brodsky, Blue Shed, 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Margot Samel.

Sasha Brodsky, Midtown Parade, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Lazarew.

Then

The work that’s proved most pivotal in my career was a 20 ft. long penis I drew on a concrete fence behind my high school sin Moscow when I was in 8th grade. It got a lot of exposure and received high praise from my schoolmates. I don’t think I have any big regrets so far. My most surreal experience must’ve been when someone came for a studio visit and was on the phone the whole time and then left. Another career highlight was collaborating with my father for a show we did together.

Now

My work process has evolved from making really small scale prints and watercolours into working with larger scale pieces on fabric. But printmaking and etching in particular still remains a really strong influence.

Currently I’m working with Margot Samel gallery in New York and Galerie Lazarew in Paris.

I was really inspired by seeing Loren Connors and Alan Licht’s play at Blank Forms. It was the most intimate show I ever attended and it made a huge impression.

Henry Gibbs

Henry Gibbs, Mishapen chaos of well-seeming forms, Herald St. Image courtesy of Henry Gibbs and Herald St, London. Photo by Jack Elliot Edwards.

Henry Gibbs, Unique forms of continuity in digital space, Herald St. Image courtesy of Henry Gibbs and Herald St, London. Photo by Jack Elliot Edwards.

Then

It’s always satisfying when I realise parts of older works unconsciously reappear in current works. Stepping out of my comfort zone has provided the most growth – things I didn’t believe I could actually do such as my mural in Canary Wharf.

Now

I’m trying to live in the present! No regrets by that philosophy; having a psychotherapist for a boyfriend helps with this… I’m a chronic overthinker though, which doesn’t help when I’ve overshared all my anxieties at a private view, or when I’m at the studio trying to finish a work.

I’ve been lucky enough to show my work in each stage of its evolution. I used to do mostly oil painting with figurative elements but now it’s moved to a more diverse and conceptual approach to painting.

I am currently included in the group show ‘Brink’ at Herald St Gallery across both the Bloomsbury and Bethnal Green spaces. A very exciting opportunity for me to work with Laurie Barron (Associate Director) and exhibit alongside some great artists in a gallery with a distinguished, engaging programme.

Pourea Alimirzaee

Pourea, Confronting Red. Image courtesy of the artist.

Pourea, Kitsch Love. Image courtesy of the artist.

Then

I think the most pivotal works I’ve made in the last ten years actually started during a conversation with my teacher at the time in the academy of fine arts Vienna, Kirsi Mikkola. She encouraged me to focus on subjects that genuinely mattered to me.

Back then, I was thinking a lot about masculinity — how it shifts, how it can be redefined, and especially the idea of fragile masculinity. That’s really what pushed me to start making self-portraits. Over time, those portraits evolved into a recurring character in my work—an androgynous figure with long hair, almost like a version of myself that kept reappearing. This character would inhabit different spaces, simply existing there, and became a way for me to explore those questions about identity and masculinity through my art.

I made a bold decision when I was almost 30. I realised that IT engineering just wasn’t for me, so I decided to leave it behind and follow my passion for art. I came from a non-artistic family and had no connections in the art world at all. I didn’t really know where to start, but I just took the leap.

I moved from Iran to Austria and began studying art in Vienna. It wasn’t easy, and there were plenty of moments of doubt, but looking back, I’m so glad I trusted myself enough to take that risk and go after what I truly love.

Now

I have a show coming up in December at Gallery Nagel Draxler in Berlin. I have so much respect for them. At the time, I hadn’t had any shows yet, so for a gallery of their calibre to take a chance on me — it really says a lot about the kind of risk-taking they do.

I really admire a mix of contemporary artists from different generations! From the older generation, I’m a big fan of Chris Ofili’s paintings and Francesco Clemente’s installations and watercolours — they’re just amazing. But I also love discovering younger artists. I really enjoy Nam Kim’s paintings, Shabahang Tayyari’s work, Leonardo David’s pieces, and some of Morteza Khakshoor’s paintings.

One of the projects I’m really focusing on right now is putting together a show in my homeland. I’ve never had an exhibition in Iran before, so I’m excited to share my paintings there and see how they resonate. I’ll be showing my work at Gallery Delgosha in Tehran, and I definitely recommend following that gallery.

My main goal is to keep this whole journey alive and fun — to feel that same excitement I had when I was studying in Vienna. For a while, I let the art market, sales, and so-called “success” creep into my mind, and it started to crush the joy I once felt with my paintings. I found myself endlessly calculating how my work might “function” in this tough art world, and honestly… it made me feel a little trapped, even a bit depressed. I constantly remind myself: be bold, do it with passion, do it with joy, and let the rest fall into place. As my teacher always says: ‘Don’t aspire to a living; aspire to make a change.”