• Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - surreal oil painting of a rock-cut city rising in cream and ochre tiers, hundreds of small cloaked figures on curved balconies, ramps and stairs, a circular pit at the centre and birds against a storm-dark sky.
  • Detail of Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - a golden clock face with Roman numerals set into a pale wall beneath a curving staircase, hooded figures gathered at dark arched doorways below.
  • Detail of Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - two figures in slate-blue cloaks crossing pale sand, one with a glossy red-orange sphere in place of a head.
  • Detail of Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - crowds of small pale figures lining curved balcony edges, with solitary figures standing inside deep arched niches below.
  • Detail of Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - birds in flight over the upper terraces, crowds along the curved parapets and thin poles rising from the roofline into a grey sky.
  • Detail of Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - the upper tiers of the structure against a dark blue storm sky, rows of tiny figures along the ledges and arched openings cut into the walls.
  • Detail of Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - the rooftop of the rock-cut city, thin poles and lamp-like forms along the rim, arched niches holding small figures in the tiers beneath.
  • Signature detail of Why 12? - the artist's signature and the year 2026 painted in white over rendered grey rocks at the lower right corner of the canvas.
  • Melina Ghaemi at work on Why 12? in her studio, painting the lower section of the canvas where the figures are still pencil underdrawing.
  • Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi - a slow pan across the finished oil painting, moving over the tiered rock-cut city, the crowds of cloaked figures and the golden clock at its centre.
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Original art by Melina Ghaemi VanArtHub, Vancouver

Why 12?: Original Oil on Canvas by Melina Ghaemi | VanArtHub

Oil on Canvas55.1 × 63.0 in2026One-of-a-kind original

$8,000.00 CAD
$8,000.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
Free insured shipping to Canada and the USA.
  • 14-day free trial Full refund, we pay return shipping
  • Free insured shipping Canada 3 to 7 days · USA 5 to 10
  • Certificate of Authenticity Signed original, included
  • Lifetime Trade-Back Trade in for store credit, any time

See it in person. Our gallery is at 1242 Davie Street, Vancouver, open seven days a week. Call (604) 401-9499 to check this piece is on the wall before you come, or plan your visit.

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The story behind this piece

Shipping, trial and returns
  • Free, fully insured shipping. Delivery takes 3 to 7 business days in Canada and 5 to 10 in the USA. Every piece is professionally packed and insured door to door.
  • 14-day free trial. Live with the painting for 14 days. If it is not right for your space, return it for a full refund and we pay the return shipping.
  • Certificate of Authenticity. A signed certificate ships with the artwork, confirming it is a one-of-a-kind original.
  • Lifetime Trade-Back. Your taste can change. Trade this piece back at any time for store credit toward another original.
  • Ships from Vancouver, Canada. Packed by the gallery and tracked all the way to your door.

Technical details

Size
55.1 × 63.0 in
Medium
Oil on Canvas
Subject
Surreal Architecture
Style
Contemporary Fine Art
Artist
Melina Ghaemi
Year
2026
Edition
Original, one of a kind
Authenticity
Certificate of Authenticity included
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About this artwork

A city cut into rock, curving back on itself in tier after tier of arches, ramps and staircases. Hundreds of small cloaked figures move through it — crowding the balconies, waiting in doorways, climbing, or standing entirely still. A circular pit opens at the centre of it all. And on the middle terrace hangs a golden clock, its numerals turned toward XII.

Melina Ghaemi lived with this canvas for months, and the figures in it were never planned in advance. In her words:

“They are not pre-designed characters. Each one is part of a feeling that lived with me at a particular moment. On days when I was tired, they were tired too. On days when I was hopeful, they were looking for a way to keep going. Sometimes they gathered together, sometimes they fell silent, and sometimes they were so alone that I felt one of them was me.

At the centre of this world there is a pit. Some are trapped in it, and some are still trying to find a way up. For me that pit is not only a sign of falling — it is a reminder that climbing out is always possible, but not everyone sees the way.

If everything begins at twelve and returns to twelve, are we really moving? Or are we circling in one repeating loop? Perhaps time is not something that merely passes by us. Perhaps we live inside it — fall, rise again, hope, grow tired, and return to the same point we thought we had already passed.

Why 12 is not an answer about time. It is a question, and I want it to stay in the viewer’s mind for a moment after they look away: if we come back to the same point, have we really returned to the beginning — or has something inside us changed?”

Living with this painting

At 140 × 160 cm this is an anchor work — a canvas that sets the tone of a room rather than decorating it. It rewards distance and proximity in different ways: across a large living room or lobby the architecture reads as a single spiralling mass, while up close the tiers break into hundreds of individual figures, each one doing something slightly different. It suits a tall wall with room to step back, and it belongs in spaces where people linger: a stairwell landing, a study, a boutique hotel lobby, a private gallery wall.

Details

  • Artist: Melina Ghaemi — Vancouver, Canada
  • Series: An Illusion Called Time
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Size: 140 cm wide × 160 cm high (55 × 63 in)
  • Year: 2026 — signed by the artist, lower right
  • One of a kind: an original painting, never a print or reproduction
  • Ships unframed, rolled in a protective tube, with a certificate of authenticity

Shipping & care

Free shipping to the USA, Canada and the UAE; international delivery quoted on request. Every piece is packed by the gallery and insured in transit, and arrives with a 14-day unconditional return window.

Keep the canvas out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources or damp walls. Dust the surface with a dry, soft brush — never a wet cloth or any cleaning product. If you would like framing advice for this size, the gallery can recommend a Vancouver framer or arrange it before shipping.

Questions about this painting

How big is Why 12?, and what size wall does it suit?
Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi measures 55.1 by 63 inches (140 by 160 cm), so it is portrait, taller than it is wide. VanArtHub suggests hanging it over a wall space or piece of furniture at least 83 inches wide, which keeps the painting at roughly two thirds of the width below it. Measure your wall before you order, and remember the 14-day trial covers you if the scale is not right in the room.
Is Why 12? an original painting or a print?
Why 12? is a one-of-a-kind original painted by Melina Ghaemi, oil on canvas. VanArtHub sells originals only and does not sell prints or reproductions of this work, so once it is bought there is no second copy. A signed Certificate of Authenticity ships with the painting.
What colours are in Why 12??
The dominant colour in Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi is ochre. The style is surrealism, symbolism, contemporary. If you are matching a room, work from the wall colour and the largest piece of furniture rather than from small accessories, and use the 14-day trial to see the painting in your own light before you commit.
Who painted Why 12??
Why 12? was painted by Melina Ghaemi, an artist represented by VanArtHub, a gallery based in Vancouver, Canada. You can see the rest of Melina Ghaemi's available and past work at https://vanarthub.com/pages/melina-ghaemi.
When was Why 12? painted?
Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi was painted in 2026, oil on canvas. It is a recent original rather than a reissue or a later copy.
How much does Why 12? cost, and what is included in the price?
Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi is $8,000.00 CAD at VanArtHub. That price includes free fully insured shipping to Canada and the USA, a signed Certificate of Authenticity, and the 14-day trial. There is no framing charge, no delivery charge, and no buyer's premium on top.
Can I return Why 12? if it does not suit my wall?
Yes. Every painting VanArtHub sells, including Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi, comes with a 14-day trial. Hang it at home, and if it is not right, return it within 14 days for a full refund. VanArtHub pays the return shipping, so trying the piece costs you nothing.
How long does shipping take for Why 12?, and does it cost extra?
Shipping is free and fully insured. Why 12? ships from VanArtHub in Vancouver, Canada, and delivery takes 3 to 7 business days within Canada and 5 to 10 business days to the USA. The painting is professionally packed and tracked door to door, and it is insured for its full value the whole way.
Is Why 12? still available?
Yes, Why 12? by Melina Ghaemi is available to buy at VanArtHub as of today. It is a one-of-a-kind original, so there is only one of it and it is gone once it sells.
What if my taste changes after buying Why 12??
VanArtHub offers a Lifetime Trade-Back. You can trade Why 12? back to the gallery at any time, with no deadline, and put the credit toward a different original. Because every piece is one of a kind, the trade-back is what lets a collection change over the years without a loss.

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