Published by Skira Editore S.p.A., 2016
2 Volumes (Vol. I: 195 pages; Vol. II: 195 pages)
12 x 10 x 3 in | 30.5 x 25.4 x 7.6 cm
ISBN: 9788857231747
Foreword by Negar Azimi
Text in English by Dina Nasser-Khadivi, Farhad Moshiri, Dr. Maryam Ekhtiar, Aram Moshayedi
Farhad Moshiri’s mixed-media practice spans painting, assemblage, and sculpture. Inspired by pop art and conceptualism, he has developed a profoundly hybrid aesthetics at the crossroads of the Middle East and the West. While he usually draws his motifs from American consumer culture (comics, advertising, pop music), he reinterprets them through equally clichéd traditional Persian craftsmanship. His embrace of delicate ornamental techniques, ranging from hand embroidery to calligraphy, offers an ironic and powerful contrast to his otherwise lowbrow visual references. His signature use of sparkly materials (beads, glitter, diamonds) further creates a palpable tension between the primarily figurative quality of his works and their inclination toward pure embellishment. Beneath its humorous and light appearance, Moshiri’s oeuvre takes on a slightly subversive dimension by touching upon his native country’s current transformation.