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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The Year of Wilfred Thesiger
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17 Dec 2024 - 04 Feb 2025
Born in 1910 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sir Wilfred Thesiger was one of
the most renowned explorers of the 20th century. Educated at Eton and
Oxford, he developed a deep fascination with the deserts of the Arabian
Peninsula, particularly the UAE. In the late 1940s and early 1950s,
Thesiger crossed the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter), documenting his
journeys through photography and writing.
Thesiger's stunning journey through the UAE took him deep into the
heart of the desert, where he lived with the Bedouins and experienced
their traditions firsthand. His photography and writing captured the
beauty and resilience of the people and landscapes in a time of
significant change.
His photographic work, spanning over 5,000 images, captured the
people, landscapes, and traditions of Arabia, offering a rare glimpse into
a vanishing world. His portraits of Bedouins and desert scenes are a
lasting record of the region’s timeless beauty and changing ways of life.
Thesiger’s most famous book, Arabian Sands, remains a classic of travel
literature. His contributions earned him numerous accolades, and his
photographic legacy continues to inspire and educate, preserving the
cultural history of the Arabian Peninsula.
Wilfred Thesiger’s photography exhibition offers a glimpse into his remarkable journey through the Arabian Peninsula between 1945 and 1950. His photographs are powerful visual statements, narrative works of art, and deeply personal reflections on distant, untamed worlds.
Sir Wilfred Thesiger (1910–2003) is widely regarded as one of the greatest travelers of the twentieth century. His travel writings, particularly his autobiography A Life of My Choice (1987), are celebrated as classics of the genre, while other works like Desert, Marsh and Mountain (1979) introduced audiences to his remarkable photographic archive, which spans over fifty years of exploration.
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Thesiger’s images transcend simple observation, offering informed visual narratives and self-defining interpretations of the worlds he encountered. Among his most iconic achievements was his double crossing of the Empty Quarter—one of the largest sand deserts in the world—in 1946–1947 and again in 1947–1948. These journeys, marked by immense hardship, traversed the Arabian Desert from south to north, cementing his legacy as an unparalleled explorer.
In his seminal work Arabian Sands, Thesiger articulated his motivations for exploration:
“For me, exploration was a personal venture. I did not go to the Arabian desert to collect plants nor to make a map; such things were incidental. At heart I knew that to write or even to talk of my travels was to tarnish the achievement. I went there to find peace in the hardship of desert travel and the company of desert peoples. I set myself a goal on these journeys, and, although the goal itself was unimportant, its attainment had to be worth every effort and sacrifice. . . . No, it is not the goal but the way there that matters, and the harder the way the more worthwhile the journey.”
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The exhibition invites viewers to step into Thesiger’s world— stark landscapes, resilient communities, and unyielding dedication to the path less traveled. His work is not just an account of physical journeys but a testament to the spirit of exploration.
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The exhibition is in partnership with @motivatemedia_group and @thearabiangallery
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