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Lot Essay
Farhad Moshiri's works reveal ironic interpretations and explorations of traditional Iranian forms, coupled with references to globalised popular culture. They suggest two opposing perspectives: a satire of Iran's fascination with Western culture as well as a perpetual reminder of his beloved homeland's glorious past and history. At crossroads between Pop Art, Conceptual Art, advertising and traditional iconography, his works embrace a broad range of mediums from paint to embroidery, from acrylic pastries to Swarovski crystals, from kitchen knives to classical jars and bowls.
A collector himself of ancient ceramics of the Safavid and Achaemenid dynasties, Moshiri recreates these objects by depicting them on the flat surface of the canvas, as to eternalise their remembrance. His renowned Jars evoke the relationship between tradition and modernity in present-day Iran, replete with visual remnants of the past pointing to deeper social issues.
Fascinated by paint as a medium, the artist plays with the texture of his works to achieve a new form of art. To attain the highly texturised surfaces on his canvases, he rolls up, folds and crushes the canvas allowing the almost dried pigments to flake and crackle, a process that hints to his continuous theme of love and admiration for the Golden Age of Iran.
The present work is embellished by an ecstatic verse by the 14th century poet Hafiz, whose writings are regarded as the pinnacle of Persian literature. The poetic meaning of the words, such as Eshgh (or Love in Farsi) and their combination with the balanced composition, evoke a sense of quietness and peaceful serenity that in turn are evocative of the Golden Age in Persian culture and history.
A collector himself of ancient ceramics of the Safavid and Achaemenid dynasties, Moshiri recreates these objects by depicting them on the flat surface of the canvas, as to eternalise their remembrance. His renowned Jars evoke the relationship between tradition and modernity in present-day Iran, replete with visual remnants of the past pointing to deeper social issues.
Fascinated by paint as a medium, the artist plays with the texture of his works to achieve a new form of art. To attain the highly texturised surfaces on his canvases, he rolls up, folds and crushes the canvas allowing the almost dried pigments to flake and crackle, a process that hints to his continuous theme of love and admiration for the Golden Age of Iran.
The present work is embellished by an ecstatic verse by the 14th century poet Hafiz, whose writings are regarded as the pinnacle of Persian literature. The poetic meaning of the words, such as Eshgh (or Love in Farsi) and their combination with the balanced composition, evoke a sense of quietness and peaceful serenity that in turn are evocative of the Golden Age in Persian culture and history.