Damian Homat Ardestani

Damian Ardestani, widely known XOV, is an award-winning artist the lead creator of the Surrealium atelier in Stockholm, Sweden.

XOV's artistic journey combines elements of poetry, music, visual art, and humanitarianism, all underpinned by a strong emphasis on introspection, existence, and the essential depths of the human experience. His music, having reached over 100 million streams on Spotify and setting the tone for Hollywood films like The Hunger Games, represents only a segment of his creative spectrum. In 2024, he emerges as the visionary force behind Surrealium (), an atelier dedicated to bringing Surrealism back into our daily lives through the creation of fine art, jewelry and everyday artifacts.

Transmuting Human Suffering Into Art
XOV's dedication to human rights significantly influences his art. He is the founder of I AM YOU, an organization that addresses human suffering in global crises. His collaboration with Human Rights Watch, particularly his role in leading a committee of artists to co-create artworks in service of human rights, underscores his deep commitment to these causes. Additionally, XOV's personal volunteer efforts in some of the world's most challenging humanitarian crises, including his time in what ...

"For me, painting is a spiritual ritual, carving through the psyche, creating calm of chaos and beauty of ugly. It unleashes a force within me, transforming perspectives and shifting paradigms. I create beautiful things out of my suffering because it gives it meaning. To take the ugliest, most tragic and vile things of life and turn it into beautiful pieces of art that move and inspires people is the greatest gift I have been given. One that evaporates the darkness like the sun at dawn. Without it, I would be living in the dark, drowning in my own narrative."

www.surrealium.art
www.xovofficial.com