Farhad Moshiri, Life is Beautiful
As the first major publication devoted to the artist, the double volume monograph spans the last 20 years of Moshiri’s work and presents a look at his admiration for the ironic hybrids between contemporary and historical Iranian symbolism as well as his exploration of present-day society. Considered one of the most prominent figures of Middle Eastern contemporary art, Farhad Moshiri became well known for his ironic interpretations of hybrids between traditional Iranian forms and those of the globalized consumerist and popular culture. Utilizing a repertoire of mediums and tools, he critically examines pertinent issues today and plays with the codes of modernism while developing a flamboyant iconography Gathering approximately 160 works, this monograph approaches his work both thematically and chronologically, and includes installation shots from past exhibitions and earlier works that have never been published before, in addition to critical essays by contributors such as Dr Maryam Ekhtiar from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vassilis Oikonomopoulos from TATE, Aram Moshayedi from the Hammer Museum and Negar Azimi.
Farhad Moshiri’s mixed-media practice spans painting, assemblage, and sculpture. Inspired by pop art and conceptualism, he has developed a profoundly hybrid aesthetic 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.
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Published by Skira Editore
2 Volumes (Vol. I : 195 pages ; Vol. II : 195 pages)
Texts in English by Dina Nasser-Khadivi, Farhad Moshiri, Dr. Maryam Ekhtiar, Aram Moshayedi
Hardcover, 2016