"My cages are homes of hopes. And I put a lot of things in the cages. It's the opposite of what some people think: I do not consider what I put in cages imprisoned, but preserved, made safe."
Parviz Tanavoli, 1976
Exhibition extended until May 14th.
From 26th April - 14th May we will be exhibiting prints from the 1970s by one of Iran's most important and revered modernists, Parviz Tanavoli (b.1937).
Although known internationally for his sculptural work, Tanavoli produced a series of screenprints in 1974 which he then had woven as carpets using traditional methods. The exhibition consists of a number of these original screenprints, as well as some later editions.
"Though Parviz Tanavoli is known as the father of modern Iranian sculpture, over the course of his seven decades as an artist he has created a diverse range of artworks from ceramics to rugs, from painting to prints. Through the years, Tanavoli's art has been deeply influenced by his work as a teacher, a researcher, and a collector. And it is in his prints from the 1970s that one can clearly see the themes and motifs that would become central to his creative expression. Recalling his early works, Tanavoli said, "Iranian themes had come to possess the very fiber of my being and haunted my thoughts."
Dr. Shiva Balaghi, 2021
A publication is available to purchase, containing an essay by Dr Shiva Balaghi and a Q&A with the Artist on the origins of the series.
To view the works in person it is advisable to contact the gallery in advance.