Fahrad Moshiri

Considered an international leader in the neo-pop movement as well as one of the most prominent figures of Middle Eastern Contemporary Art, Farhad Moshiri studied fine arts at CalArts in Valencia, California where he first started experimenting with installations, video art and painting, before moving back to Tehran in 1991. He subsequently became well known for his ironic interpretations of hybrids between traditional Iranian forms and those of the consumerist and globalized popular culture widespread in his country. Moshiri began experimenting further with his materials that comprise of everyday found objects - skillfully layering such materials as cake icing dispensers, embroidery, Swarovski crystals, and even assortments of kitchen knives to make works that incorporate increasingly textured and sculptural approaches. His use of such materials continues to demonstrate his ability to go beyond the confines of pure aestheticism with playful irreverence and layered meaning. In his usual subdued impertinence, and utilizing a repertoire of mediums and tools, Moshiri critically examines pertinent issues today. But it is not just Moshiri's technique that has earned him the attention that he currently benefits from, rather, it is his mastery of Iranian visual vernacular, as well as his acute awareness of popular culture and art history. Through 'candy' colours and hybrid materials in paintings / installations, he plays with the codes of modernism while developing a flamboyant iconography. Born in Shiraz, Iran in 1963, Moshiri graduated from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 1984 and currently works between Tehran and Paris. His work has been widely exhibited around the world and is in several public collections, including the British Museum, London and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.