Farhad Moshiri has been remembered as Iran's “most important contemporary artist” and a “true magician” following his death at the age of 61.
Primarily known for his mixed-media practices in painting, assemblage, sculpture and more, Moshiri's technical prowess took inspiration from both eastern and western traditions and art practices.
His death was announced by The Third Line gallery, which represented the artist. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Farhad Moshiri on Tuesday, 17th July 2024,” it posted on Instagram.
“Our journey with Moshiri began in 2006 with New Paintings by Farhad Moshiri at our first space in the UAE. Since then, we’ve cherished witnessing his ever-evolving practice.
“Our thoughts are with his family. Farhad Moshiri will be deeply missed, remembered as both a friend and artist. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Born in 1963 in Shiraz, Iran, Moshiri studied fine arts at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California in the 1980s and received and MFA from the same institute in 1984 before moving back to Tehran in 1991. It was during his years at university that Moshiri first began experimenting with installations, video art and painting.
From the start of his career, Moshiri became known for his ironic blend of traditional Iranian forms with the ways in which popular global culture appeared in Iran.
“Farhad Moshiri is undoubtedly the most important contemporary artist from Iran in the years that followed the revolution – and, one of the most important from the region as a whole,” Sotheby’s director for Middle Eastern and contemporary art Ashkan Baghestani told The National.
“He not only established the first wave of contemporary art post 1979, but also became one of the rare artists who radically, and successfully, brought all of the great craftsmanship, iconography and storytelling inherent in Persian culture and history into his contemporary practice. The breadth, diversity and scope of his output in this sense was unparalleled.”
Moshiri’s unique style was greatly inspired by pop art and conceptualism. While that led to western media often referring to the artist as the “Middle East's Andy Warhol”, that moniker failed to capture the breadth of his work.
Pop art, which began in the 1950s and 1960s drew inspiration from popular consumer goods, advertisements, celebrities, comic books and other facets of mainstream popular culture. Conceptual art, on the other hand, was in some ways a reaction to pop art emerging in the 1960s and 1970s. The ethos of conceptual art prioritised the idea or concept behind a work of art over the traditional aesthetics or the technical craftsmanship of the art.
Moshiri took both these movements, fusing highbrow imagery with American pop consumer culture and reinterpreted them with elements of traditional Persian craftsmanship to create powerful works with rich concepts.
While his practice contained strong decorative and embellished elements through his use of materials such as beads, glitter and diamonds, there were always strong concepts and a narrative behind his work.
From addressing immediate issues of his homeland while playing with formal concepts in art making and acknowledging the appeal and influence of the West, Moshiri’s work speaks to audiences regionally and internationally.
Baghestani remembers Moshiri as a thoughtful and diverse artist who wasn’t afraid to experiment. Moshiri’s jar series from the mid 1990s, was a prime example. It included sculptural Iranian clay vessels in earth tones, patinas and weather textures. Other works incorporated poetry, calligraphy, embroidery and tapestry.
“He tried so many different things, explored so many different avenues, collaborated with so many other artists, and to me, was a true magician that will remain one of the greats,” Baghestani adds.
“His art speaks to such a wide audience. He transcended barriers both in terms of the richness of his imagery and in terms of his market. It would be hard to find another artist in the region who has been so widely admired and collected not only by local audiences but also internationally.”
Moshiri’s first solo museum exhibition, Go West, opened at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh in October 2017. Since then he had other solo exhibitions in Austria, New York, Seoul and Dubai.
His works are housed in various collections including The British Museum in London; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha; the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in USA and the Francois Pinault Collection in Venice.
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
