Tehran’s Tehran-Karchive Gallery plays the host of a painting exhibition, featuring a collection of works by renowned Iranian artists along with renowned American artists.
The exhibition entitled “Iranian Abstraction” is part of a joint project by Karchive Gallery, featuring incredible works such as Reza Bangiz, Sadegh Tabrizi, Mohammad Ali Tarqijah, Iran Darroudi, Reza daryhigi, Jagnezendeehhavatian, Jassein zendehehharudi, Mohammad Ali Tarqijah, Mohammad Ali Tarqijah and Mohammad Ali Tarqijah. Shayestepour, Mehr reported on Saturday.
The exhibition also features artwork by Masoud Arabshahi, Nasser Assar, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Marcos Grigorian, Sirak Melkonian, Manouchehr Niazi, Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam and American artist Robbie Austin.
Each of these artists explicitly infuse their work with their unique Iranian identity as they explore the realm of abstract art.
The exhibition includes a selection of works by Robby Austin. His work has participated in numerous exhibitions and art fairs, establishing him as an important figure in contemporary American art.
Austin’s enthusiasm for Iranian culture and symbolism inspired him to create abstract works that reflected the Iranian spirit.
The exhibition statement written by Tuka Maleki provides a historical overview of modernist Iranian artists. The first wave of Iranian modernists revisits the visual traditions of Kamel al-Morq School and reveals that they attempted to respond to issues of modernity by incorporating their works into figic paintings. These early works sought realism and through simplification of form and color, they took the first steps towards modernization.
With fresh perspectives acquired from Western research, the second generation of artists brought about the influence of European modernism, particularly abstract painting. Pioneers such as Behjat Sadr, Mansoureh Hosseini and Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam played a key role in the surge in abstract painting in Iran, which expanded further in the 1960s and 1970s.
The exhibition also displays natural scenery photographed by artists such as Silac Melconian, Iranian Dardi, Nasser Assar, Sorab Seperi and Faride Rashai.
The exploration of motifs and elements of Iranian folk art is evident in the works of Marcos Grigolians, Monir Farmanfamous and other artists, but geometric abstractions can be seen in the works of Mohsen Vajiri Moghadam, Masaud Arabshahi and Mohammad Reza Zudat.
There is a consistent desire for Iranian storytelling, but historically, abstract art has prevented it from becoming a major trend in Iranian modernism. Iranian paintings vibrate constantly between familiar visual elements, holding themselves to the intersection of parometric and abstract art. The imaginative world of Iranian artists intertwined with music and poetry continues to cultivate a romantic and lyrical essence within Iranian abstraction. As Sohrab Sepehri eloquently states, “When Western art depicts moments, halted actions, or light phenomena, Eastern art reveals its continuous essence.”
The exhibition will be held until April 21st at Karchive Gallery, at 13 Road 12, Sanai St.
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