Available for sale from leila heller gallery, shirin neshat, mosaeb masses, from the book of kings series 2012, ink on le silver gelatin print, 101. Shirin neshat speaks about her retrospective at the hirshhorn. Shirin neshat is a contemporary iranian visual artist best known for her work in photography, video, and film such as her 1999 film rapture,which explore the relationship between women and the religious and cultural value systems of islam. Best known for her work in photography, film and video, neshat creates stark visual contrasts that offer glimpses into the social, cultural and religious codes of muslim societies.
Neshat inscribed the portrait with calligraphic verses in farsi from contemporary iranian poetry, giving the work a powerful effect. Gladstone gallery specializes in modern and contemporary art with locations in new york and brussels. Irans foremost female artist tells art radar how she uses art to explore fundamental human truths iranianborn artist shirin neshat and christy maclear, the executive director of the robert rauschenberg foundation, speak to art radar about the foundations new onetoone artist initiative, the current exhibition our house is on fire in new york city, and neshats internationally. The exhibit, the book of kings, was inspired by the wave of political uprisings. May 17, 2010 we publish many striking images in the arts feature that accompanies our fiction and nonfiction chronicle columns. Like most revolutions, however, the series of events that. Shirin neshats book of kings captures the faces of the. Incorporating archival material to contextualize her practice, the show confronts. The installation features two blackandwhite projections. Shirin neshats powerful photographs and video installations illuminate the gender and cultural conflicts of her native iran. Born in iran, neshat emigrated to the united states in 1974 at the age of 17, and today has photographs, films, and videos in museum collections across the country. In her work, she explores iran pre and postislamic revolution, tracing political and societal change through powerful images of women.
Facing history is the companion volume to the smithsonians hirshhorn museum exhibition of the same name. The book of kings is a series of photographs, with farsi calligraphy and beautiful drawings from the preislamic history of persia inscribed on the developed image. May 15, 20 shirin neshat s solo show the book of kings at faurschou foundation in beijing, china features a new body of photography works and. Shirin neshats most popular book is women without men. Throughout the space, dozens of iranian and arab youth with engaging, thoughtful expressions stare out from blackandwhite photographs by shirin neshat. At the age of seventeen, she relocated to the united states to complete her education. Internationally acclaimed artist shirin neshat takes on loaded themes in photography, film, and video works that delve into issues of gender, identity, and politics in muslim countries, and the relationship between the personal and political. Shirin neshat, panteha masses, from the book of kings series, 2012. Shirin neshats rapture is an allegorical investigation into islamic laws effects on gender politics and daily life. Although her work has never been exhibited in her own home country, she has gained international recognition. A major retrospective of neshat s work, organized by the detroit institute of arts, was scheduled to open in 20. Facing history takes a sweeping look at her output and will present her iconic blackandwhite photographic portraitswhich she discusses belowas well as her nonnarrative videos and her recent forays into cinema.
Shirin neshat translates iranian political unrest through an. Shirin neshat the colony 2019 available for sale artsy. These images wrest emotional, aesthetic and political freedom from the dominant patriarchal culture, whether it be the colonialist west or fundamentalist iran. Shirin neshats determination to undermine western assumptions about middle eastern women has resulted in an already substantial body of astounding and profound work. The political and religious upheaval that affected iran in 1979 is best remembered for the taking of american hostages and the deposing of the shah. Artist shirin neshat captures irans sharp contrasts in black and white the iranianborn visual artist has made her home countrys turbulent history the. Neshats ibrahim patriots, from the book of kings series, 2012. Jun 15, 2001 shirin neshat s determination to undermine western assumptions about middle eastern women has resulted in an already substantial body of astounding and profound work. Shirin neshat s zarin ran at barbara gladstone through november 12, 2005, laurie anderson at sean kelly through october 22, and jonathan horowitz at yvon lambert through november 12. Shirin neshat is an iranian artist based in new york.
In 2012 shirin neshat had a solo exhibition in singapore, game of desire at art plural gallery. As an iranian woman, shirin neshats startling photographs convey a power that is more than merely exotic. Artist shirin neshat captures irans sharp contrasts. The book of kings series shirin neshats large photo series the book of kings is inspired by the 60,000verse poem shahnameh the book of kings from the eleventh century by the persian poet ferdowsi, today still the great narrative of persian history up to the islamic conquest of persia in the seventh century. At that time, neshat began to photograph herself wearing the chador, or veil. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, achievements and timeline. Product modeling with keith jones in glendale, california. Iranianborn artist shirin neshat explores the paradox of being an artist in exile. She who tells a story is an exhibit at the museum of fine arts, boston. Throughout most of neshats career, she has been exiled from iran, an outside observer of islamic laws. Though their nonwestern iconography may at first disorient the viewer, these pictures have a boldly stylized look that is utterly compelling. View the book of kings series by shirin neshat on artnet. For shirin neshat, art became a kind of an excuse to build a relationship, even from a distance, to her homeland and history.
The exhibit, the book of kings, was inspired by the wave of political uprisings throughout the arab world last year, and according to the gallery, explores the underlying conditions. Her father was a wellrespected physician and her mother a homemaker. Its painful to say that, because neshats early work is so successful. Neshat has strived to become an influential artist, winning awards such as best director at the 66th venice film. Its written all over their faces the washington post. May 15, 2015 its painful to say that, because neshats early work is so successful. Book of kings 2012 and our house is on fire 20, an homage to the revolutionaries in the green movement and the arab. Shirin neshat is an iranian visual artist and activist. On wednesday october 16, 20 i was fortunate to attend a lecture with some of my art history students at the museum of fine arts, boston entitled shirin neshat. Neshats series returned to gladstone through february 23, 2008.
These works were once again exhibited as a solo exhibition, shirin neshat. Neshat grew up in prerevolutionary iran, then came to. Shirin neshat, a slight woman with heavy eyeliner, stood against a wall displaying 45 of her photographic portraitsthe faces were covered with inscriptions of farsi poetry. One depicts a group of men dressed in western suits and the other captures a group of women veiled in chador. Shirin neshats zarin ran at barbara gladstone through november 12, 2005, laurie anderson at sean kelly through october 22, and jonathan horowitz at yvon lambert through november 12. June 11 every mystery of life has its origin in the heart. She is an iranian video and installation artist who explores the political and social conditions of iranian and muslim life in. Shirin neshat born march 26, 1957 in qazvin, iran is an iranian visual artist who lives in new york. Shirin neshat, roja the book of kings, 2012, ink on le gelatin. Shirin neshat biographyneshat is a female visual artist, born in iran and educated in america where she currently resides. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Neshat made a lovely choice in her text for this image, which imbues it with layers of paradox and discovery.
The iran she knows is filled with poetry and mysticism. Shirin neshat born in qazvin, iran, in 1957, shirin neshat. Shirin neshats photographs and video installations explore the cultural issues that shape her native iran, with particular emphasis on the experience of women. Artist shirin neshat began to explore the question of identity after moving from her native iran to new york, where she has lived in what she defines as selfimposed exile for most of her adult life. The gladstone gallery and the faurschou foundation in beijing, china are just some of the art spaces that have had the pleasure of exhibiting shirin neshats the book of kings. Jun 24, 2015 for shirin neshat, art became a kind of an excuse to build a relationship, even from a distance, to her homeland and history. Shirin neshat was born to a wealthy family from qazvin, a small city two hours from tehran, in 1957. Neshat s series returned to gladstone through february 23, 2008.
A total of 56 black and white photographs, framed in black and unmatted, and hung in the main gallery space, the reception hallway, and a smaller side room. The book of kings, faurschou foundation, beijing shirin neshat, detroit institute of arts, detroit, michigan. Discover book depositorys huge selection of shirin neshat books online. In shirin neshats photographs, persian calligraphic script is transcribed o. Facing history presents an array of neshats most compelling works, illuminating the points at which cultural and political events have impacted her artistic practice. Shirin neshat mosaeb masses, from the book of kings. Iranian exile shirin neshats new exhibition expresses the. Shirin neshat biography childhood, life achievements. Shirin neshats solo show the book of kings at faurschou foundation in beijing, china features a new body of photography works and. Jan 14, 2018 shirin neshat shirin on shirin duration. Shirin neshat national museum of women in the arts. Shirin neshat born 1957 qazvin, iran lives and works in new york download biography.
May 11, 2015 shirin neshat is an iranian artist based in new york. The book of kings series by shirin neshat on artnet. Shirin neshat translates iranian political unrest through. Veiled women brandish guns in defiant stances, with arabic calligraphy drawn upon the background of the photos. As in her first series, this calligraphic foray is the link that binds neshat with her country, with tradition, with popular culture and ancient persian history. One portrait on view, ibrahim 2012, belongs to a part of the book of kings series neshat calls the patriots. Later, her significant photographic works, the book of kings, were shown at the foundations copenhagen space during the group exhibition, i look at things, in 2012. Shirin neshats photographs and videos address individual freedoms under attack from or repressed by social ideologies. But that is not the world that shirin neshat knows. But i am its secret, by the iranianborn photographer and artist shirin neshat which shows a veiled muslim woman who is neshat herself staring intently into the camera, her skin covered with a swirl of black and red farsi script attracted more than the usual. She grew up in a westernized, upper middle class family in iran and attended college in the u.
May 18, 2015 artist shirin neshat captures irans sharp contrasts in black and white the iranianborn visual artist has made her home countrys turbulent history the subject of high art. The figure meets the viewers gaze with his right hand placed over his heart. Neshats the book of kings is inspired by the epic poem shahnameh the book of kings, by the 11thcentury poet ferdowsi, which chronicled iran through the 7thcentury islamic conquest of persia. Shirin neshats instagram profile has 505 photos and videos. As an iranian woman, shirin neshat s startling photographs convey a power that is more than merely exotic.
Written between 977 and 1010 ad, the persian book of kings, is irans great national epic poem that preserves the legendary and historic past of iran before its islamic conquest in the seventh century. Shirin neshat, irish museum of modern art, dublin shirin neshat, patrick painter, santa monica, california shirin neshat, barbara gladstone gallery, new york shirin neshat, kanazawa contemporary art museum, kanazawa, japan shirin neshat, hamburger kunsthalle, hamburg, germany. She is known primarily for her work in film, video and photography. Shirin neshat speaks about her retrospective at the. Here is the translation of the poem, i will greet the sun again, from neshats book. Her artwork centers on the contrasts between islam and the west, femininity and masculinity, public life and private life, antiquity and modernity, and bridging the spaces between these subjects. In her fifth solo exhibit at new yorks gladstone gallery, artist shirin neshat sets up her first ever photo installation. The exhibition, she explains in an interview with voa persian tvs behnam nateghi, is about power and peoples relationship to power, which she sees as the essence of firdowsis epic poem the book of kings. I was really immersed in the arab spring and have even done a piece of work called the book of kings, which was about. She obtained her ba, ma, and mfa at uc berkeley and moved to new york city in 1983. Iranian artist shirin neshat on art, politics and changing. Shirin neshat has 28 books on goodreads with 1594 ratings.
Similarly, book of kings brings to the foreground neshats continued concern with the loss of traditions that fall outside the islamist endorsements of cultural production. This beautiful volume presents an array of neshats most compelling works and illuminates the points at which cultural and political events have inflected her artistic practice. Jan 31, 2012 throughout the space, dozens of iranian and arab youth with engaging, thoughtful expressions stare out from blackandwhite photographs by shirin neshat. Neshat grew up in prerevolutionary iran, then came to the u. In 1993, after living in the united states for almost 20 years, neshat now 58 started making photographs of women with. Throughout most of neshats career, she has been exiled from iran, an outside observer of islamic laws increasing effects on the countrys women and daily life. Shirin neshat, courtesy of gladstone gallery, new york and brussels giving the voiceless a voice i look at the question of oppression, and how those who are living in a repressive situation such as in iran and subversive ways of being vocal, and i take off from that. Artist shirin neshat captures irans sharp contrasts in. Exiled artist shirin neshats first film is about the lives of four women in her native iran but it wont get past the countrys censors. Exiled iranian artist shirin neshat looks at the egyptian. The exhibition consisted of a total of 56 black and white photos framed in unmated and black frames that were hung across the two galleries. Shirin neshat model added a new photo to the album. Browse more artworks shirin neshat from leila heller gallery.
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