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Lot Essay
Upon 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 has led to his success.
Inspired by the traditions and history of Iran, a true admirer and collector of ancient Persian ceramics, his early canvases mimicked 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, and lastly consolidates the surface with a transparent glue to avoid deterioration.
The present work moves away from the iconography of the jar to depict a series of calligraphic numbers and signs derived from the Abjad alphabet, charged with symbolism and mysticism. The lyrical abstraction that emanates from the delicate composition is enhanced by the limited colour palette used by the artist, yet through the almost graffiti-like appearance of the endlessly repeated numbers, the artist reveals his fascination for Pop Art. As such, the present work creates a dialogue between the Eastern and Western influences of the artist and reveals the artist's longing for a glorious past as much as his admiration for contemporary aesthetics.
Each element in Moshiri's compositions are a reference to both tradition and modernity and his most recent works, installations made of acrylic pastries, embroidered beads, pearls and Swarovki crystals epitomise the artist's contrasted approach to art. Beyond the apparent preciosity of Moshiri's works lies humour and irony, as his compositions are imbued with his self-reflection and his observation of present life
Inspired by the traditions and history of Iran, a true admirer and collector of ancient Persian ceramics, his early canvases mimicked 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, and lastly consolidates the surface with a transparent glue to avoid deterioration.
The present work moves away from the iconography of the jar to depict a series of calligraphic numbers and signs derived from the Abjad alphabet, charged with symbolism and mysticism. The lyrical abstraction that emanates from the delicate composition is enhanced by the limited colour palette used by the artist, yet through the almost graffiti-like appearance of the endlessly repeated numbers, the artist reveals his fascination for Pop Art. As such, the present work creates a dialogue between the Eastern and Western influences of the artist and reveals the artist's longing for a glorious past as much as his admiration for contemporary aesthetics.
Each element in Moshiri's compositions are a reference to both tradition and modernity and his most recent works, installations made of acrylic pastries, embroidered beads, pearls and Swarovki crystals epitomise the artist's contrasted approach to art. Beyond the apparent preciosity of Moshiri's works lies humour and irony, as his compositions are imbued with his self-reflection and his observation of present life