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Lot Essay
Since his return to his homeland Iran at the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1991, Farhad Moshiri has grown to become one of the leading artists of the Contemporary art scene and has since constantly created innovative art techniques that have led to his success.
Inspired by the traditions and history of Iran, a true admirer and collector of ancient Persian ceramics, Moshiri's early canvases mimic the aged texture of the jars and vases of the ancient civilisations through a distinctive technique that has become his signature. He creates an effect of crackled and flaked paint on the work's surface by applying pigments on the canvas and repeatedly folding and crushing it, lastly consolidating the surface with a transparent glue to avoid deterioration.
In 9YAD2 from his Numeral Series, Moshiri creates a trompe-l'oeil effect with the glazed craquelure present throughout the surface of the work. The artist pursues his fascination with the Arabic Abjad alphabet, a symbolic language of numbers and signs which contains magical meanings and codes as is reflected in the titles of his works. He intentionally attributes an aged and worn look to the surface, revealing his interest in archeology, in the excavation process and in the re-discovery of a lost identity.
The present lot is a stunning example from this series as one observes the complexity of the layers, the use of different pigments and its extensive gold leaf work - a medium Moshiri fully explores later on in his series of furniture and objects entirely covered with gold leaf. Abjad calligraphy is frequently used to ornate and adorn manuscripts and talismanic garments in Iran and in the Ottoman territories, conferring blessings and protection to the wearer. By spreading this Persian script over the canvas and having it bleed over the edges, Moshiri seems to have magnified a small fragment of these lavish objects and reproduced it onto his canvas. Although the subject and Moshiri's flaking technique contribute to the antique flavour of this series, there is nonetheless a touch of Pop Art rendered by the almost graffiti-like appearance of the numbers and letters, reminiscent of Western Abstract Expressionism. The use of gold leaf is recurrent through Moshiri's works, as it often represents not only today's consumer's society, but also subtly alludes to the fact that for many people, one needs to be wealthy in order to be happy.
Moshiri's sarcastic eye is a witness to his country's history and contemporary society. His works are never an obvious criticism, but are often faintly suggested through the kitsch sphere he creates. Moshiri's Pop Art and fantasy world allow him to surpass the restraints on freedom of expression imposed by Iran's censorship and invite his viewers to choose their own interpretation.
Inspired by the traditions and history of Iran, a true admirer and collector of ancient Persian ceramics, Moshiri's early canvases mimic the aged texture of the jars and vases of the ancient civilisations through a distinctive technique that has become his signature. He creates an effect of crackled and flaked paint on the work's surface by applying pigments on the canvas and repeatedly folding and crushing it, lastly consolidating the surface with a transparent glue to avoid deterioration.
In 9YAD2 from his Numeral Series, Moshiri creates a trompe-l'oeil effect with the glazed craquelure present throughout the surface of the work. The artist pursues his fascination with the Arabic Abjad alphabet, a symbolic language of numbers and signs which contains magical meanings and codes as is reflected in the titles of his works. He intentionally attributes an aged and worn look to the surface, revealing his interest in archeology, in the excavation process and in the re-discovery of a lost identity.
The present lot is a stunning example from this series as one observes the complexity of the layers, the use of different pigments and its extensive gold leaf work - a medium Moshiri fully explores later on in his series of furniture and objects entirely covered with gold leaf. Abjad calligraphy is frequently used to ornate and adorn manuscripts and talismanic garments in Iran and in the Ottoman territories, conferring blessings and protection to the wearer. By spreading this Persian script over the canvas and having it bleed over the edges, Moshiri seems to have magnified a small fragment of these lavish objects and reproduced it onto his canvas. Although the subject and Moshiri's flaking technique contribute to the antique flavour of this series, there is nonetheless a touch of Pop Art rendered by the almost graffiti-like appearance of the numbers and letters, reminiscent of Western Abstract Expressionism. The use of gold leaf is recurrent through Moshiri's works, as it often represents not only today's consumer's society, but also subtly alludes to the fact that for many people, one needs to be wealthy in order to be happy.
Moshiri's sarcastic eye is a witness to his country's history and contemporary society. His works are never an obvious criticism, but are often faintly suggested through the kitsch sphere he creates. Moshiri's Pop Art and fantasy world allow him to surpass the restraints on freedom of expression imposed by Iran's censorship and invite his viewers to choose their own interpretation.