Visual Dialogues | The Book of Kings | Shirin Neshat & Fereydoun Ave | March 2019
Secret of Words
Mehran Mohajer & Sadegh Tirafkan
November 2006
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Total Arts Gallery at the Courtyard and Massoud Nader Present exhibition of Photography by Sadegh Tirafkan with support of Silk Road Gallery this exhibition is accompanied by photographs of Mehran Mohajer Sadegh Tirafkan is a persevering artist who navigates through time and culture in search of his place and identity as an Iranian man in the contemporary world. The medium of photography has become his main platform to construct powerful visual plays, using a combination of elements that he seasons sufficiently with symbolism.
The significance of symbolism throughout Tirafkan’s body of work comes from his Persian root in which direct dialogue is rarely used, but frequently replaced by symbolic languages. How do you inform a culture that has three thousand years of history, rich in tradition and essentially a homogenous and male dominated society? Tirafkan expresses his concerns through images of numerous self-portraits and portraits of friends. He once said, "I began photography by recording what surrounded me. Now I take what is around me in the studio and make it into what I see through the prism of my life and culture." Tirafkan poses himself and others in the studio time after time to explore the meaning of being a contemporary Iranian. Blending tradition, history and memory, he recreates visually compelling scenes that build visceral connection to his ancient country. And this is where the strength and beauty of Tirafkan's work lie.
In reinventing and revisiting Iranian tradition he is also criticizing and challenging his ancestors' long-standing authority. In spite the highly eloquent appearances; I see two hidden trends in his work, which the artist has perhaps introduced even without realizing it: a theatrical staging of all the historic drama of his country, all the painful events of which he experienced intensely, and a discreet journey towards a spirituality which emanates from his whole vision. Here, Tirafkan surreptitiously rejoins the mystical quest which remains, whether we like it or not, the key-stone of any metaphysical edifice of the Iranian world. Born in Iran in 1965, Tirafkan trained as a photographer at the University of Fine Arts in Tehran. Since the late 1990’s he has participated in numerous solo exhibitions and group shows, in Tehran, Paris and New York.
Tirafkan’s work offers an eloquent meditation on modern Iranian man’s relationship to his past and on his search for a meaningful identity in the present. Identity, history and memory have been central concerns in the work of non-western artists since the era of colonialism. Tirafkan, frequently using himself as a model, revisits and reinvents these themes in his series of enigmatic yet visually compelling photographs. He uses words and symbols to communicate with the audience and
Abstract & Lanscape
Mohseni Kermanshahi
February 2005
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A. Mohseni was born in 1960, in Kermanshah west of Iran. He started painting with Master Rahim Navesi before moving to Tehran. He held his first one-man show in 1994 and has come a long way from his humble beginnings. Landscape, traditional life and nature were always his main subjects to paint and after moving to UAE he found this passion in the local scenery. T
his exhibition would be an exceptional one in Mohseni’s career since he is entering a new period after 10 years of professionally painting landscapes and still life witch is still the close to Mohseni’s heart in a different way. Mohseni has participated in more than 40 solo and group exhibitions in Iran including Tehran Contemporary Art Museum, Australia, Kuwait and the UAE. Mohseni has won a special award from Tehran Contemporary Art Museum as the best Artist of the year in 1996. Mohseni has published 2 books, which are: 1. Nature in the painting of Abdol Hossein Mohseni 2. Painting of Abdol Hossein Mohsenis He is working on two new books at present.
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Improvisation
Karam Ali Shirazi
December 2011
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Calligraphy is an art commonly practiced in Iran, Turkey and the Arab world and has a deep route in their culture, literature and architecture. There are more than 60 countries that write in the same alphabet. Shirazi believes that the distinction of Persian calligraphy from others is in the process, which has to do with capturing every creative moment of artists deep feeling in his artwork.
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In traditional practice of calligraphy, the artist first draws the outline of the intended design with a fine light colored pencil, like using a stencil. Then with pen and ink fills the letters and at the end with a fine steel pen cleans all the imperfection. This system of calligraphy has been the practice throughout ages specially when it came to writing large letters (wider than 5 mm). Shirazi believes that this system of calligraphy is more a craft than art. Calligraphy like other forms of art is meant to be a mirror of artists soul and should reflect his feeling. This vision elevates Shirazi to an outstanding artist who not only creates exceptional masterpieces but also makes this process a journey to observe and experience. Rapid yet accomplished gesture of his hand and body, the soft movement of his pen with ink, the highlights in his lines and unpredictability in his compositions are what make Shirazi's art unique.
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Shirazi is known as the best scripter of Nastaliq style of calligraphy in the region. Calligraphy in his practice is instantaneous, spontaneous and expressive. Mastering classical calligraphy for over 35 years had given Ali Shirazi the skill to move forward and break boundaries by exploring new means to fulfill his creative desires. He first demonstrated his improvisation style in a series of calligraphy paintings (acrylic on canvas) in 1994 in Barg Gallery in Tehran. Years later, these artworks were published in an album called Ghasedak.
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He once again returned to calligraphy paintings/improvisation style in 2008, which resulted an exhibition of 20 artworks in Pardis Mellat Gallery in Tehran in 2010. Shirazi sees his new artworks as a continuation of Siyah Mashq (doodling), in a way of practicing by repeating letters, words and sentences over and over again to excel in writing, known in the art history specifically in the Qajar period.
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Having exhibited in Total Arts Gallery in several occasions in the past, he is back with his new collection of large pieces of contemporary Persian and Arabic calligraphy. His work has been extensively exhibited worldwide and been collected by major museums and private collections throughout the Islamic world.
