NOW AND TEN

PROPERTY OF
A PRIVATE COLLECTOR
36
FARHAD MOSHIRI
(IRANIAN, B. 1963)
Conference
signed and dated in Farsi, signed, titled and dated
‘“CONFERENCE” Farhad Moshiri 2008’ (on the reverse)
oil and embroidery on canvas laid down on panel
50 x 78in. (127 x 198.5cm.)
Painted in 2008
US$120,000-180,000
AED440,000-650,000
PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.
LITERATURE:
R. Janssen, The Third Line, Perrotin & T. Ropac (eds.),
Farhad Moshiri, Brussels 2010 (illustrated in colour, pp. 90-91).
D. Nasser-Khadivi, F. Rahim Ismail (eds.), Farhad Moshiri, vol.1,
Milan 2016 (illustrated in colour, pp. 180-181).
An internationally acclaimed Iranian artist of
unparalleled creativity, Farhad Moshiri is notorious
for crafting the unexpected, he absorbs the creative
formula of the cool and kitsch to orchestrate
masterful collaborations between high art and
popular culture. Through boundless material
production, ranging from the traditional to the
wildly eccentric, Moshiri graces his canvas with an
artistic methodology which is not only vibrant in
medium, but also in subject matter. He populates
his monumental canvases with shimmering
ornaments, vibrantly coloured lacquers and
sparkling stones; his artistic endeavors drawing
inspiration from text, tradition and consumerism.
As a result of his unique visual lexicon, it is
undoubted that every work of art produced by
Moshiri is truly unique.
Uniquely harmonising Eastern and Western
cultural paradoxes, Moshiri reaps the benefts of
having a diverse set of artistic infuences. With his
fnger on the pulse of creative energy, each piece
of art represents a distinct social message, adding
an essential dimension of meaning to his craft.
Alongside genius material experimentation, the
artist addresses key issues of political inequality
and societal consumerism throughout his works.
By the marriage of a skilled painterly hand and
unbounded creativity, Moshiri constructs some of
the most dynamic works of Middle Eastern art,
making him a true pioneer of the contemporary
artistic generation. The diversity of his material
production began during his education in Fine
Arts at CalArts in California, before moving back
to Tehran in 1991. He had the ability to experiment
with the numerous elements of contemporary
artistic production such as video art and installation,
alongside the more traditional mediums of drawing
and painting. As a master of both, it was not
long before his hybrid art forms became the
distinguishing feature of his artistic style.
In Conference, we are presented with an almost
predictable scene of what seems to be an elaborate
business meeting. With unopened water bottles
and half drunk cofee cups flling the semi-circular
table, we are presented this scene as though we
ourselves are seated at the table. Transporting
us right to the heart of the discussion, we see the
suited and silhouetted fgures of our colleagues or
potential business partners sitting around a table.
Hands folded, taking notes or deep in discussion
Moshiri ensures that we, the viewer, are immersed
into the conversation of the scene. However, it is
only a matter of seconds before we are met with
the obvious fact that there is something unusual
about the scene, the faces of the characters sitting
around us have been shielded from our vision
wearing masks of sparkling stones.
By removing the identity of the fgured men, we
are struck by the sense of formality and unusual
vulgarity of the scene. Stripped of their identities,
these men become faceless crusaders of their
empires. Perhaps hinting at the emotionless
actions often taken by large-scale consumerist
enterprises, Moshiri addresses these issues with
bold conviction. These sparkling and delicately
studded globes which replace their heads form
masks which continue to accentuate elements of
their visual expressions. While it seems as though
the man on the left is doing the talking, we can see
the other men facing in his direction, avidly writing
down what is being said.
Through a combination of painting and
embroidery, Moshiri shows of his genius ability
to amalgamate two juxtaposing techniques to
form one unique visual harmony. His skillful
hand as a painter is shown by the close reality the
artist is able to portray, capturing the scene as a
snapshot in time as though it were a documentary
photograph. Exacerbating this notion is its almost
monochromatic hues, highlighting its appearance
perhaps as an image from a newspaper. With an air
of comedic value and light-hearted interpretation,
Moshiri’s technique is truly evocative of the
creative energy that has become synonymous to
Middle Eastern art.
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