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Abend Gallery is pleased to present Where the Light Leads, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Pegah Samaie. In this series, women become the guardians of light, holding candles that stand for hope, courage, and resilience.

Some flames burn brightly while others fade or have gone out, and each one carries a story of struggle, loss, and renewal. Through dramatic lighting, rich color, and quiet, emotional moments, Samaie explores the space between darkness and light, vulnerability and strength, silence and resistance.

At the heart of the series is a simple belief: even when one flame goes out, the light of hope continues to burn. Where the Light Leads is on view February 6 – February 27, 2027.

Where the Light Leads opens with a reception on Friday, February 5, 2027 from 6 – 8 PM.

In this series of paintings, women become the guardians of light, holding candles that symbolize hope, courage, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit.

Each flame tells a story of struggle, sacrifice, loss, and renewal. Some candles burn brightly, while others fade or have been extinguished, reflecting the challenges women face and their determination to move forward.

Through dramatic lighting, rich colors, and quiet, emotional moments, these paintings explore the delicate relationship between darkness and light, vulnerability and strength, silence and resistance.

At the heart of this series is a simple belief: even when one flame goes out, the light of hope continues to burn.

Pegah Samaie is an American-Iranian artist who was born and grew up in Tehran, Iran. Her work moves through the shadow of her past life, using art to face the experiences she and other women have encountered in a culture dominated by patriarchal governments and households. Those early experiences changed how she sees the role of women in society, and they continue to shape the way she paints women today. For Samaie, art is her voice for her feelings and experiences. She received her BFA and MFA with honors from Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna Beach, California.