From 26th April - 8th May we will be exhibiting prints from the 1970s by one of Iran's most important and revered modernists, Parviz Tanavoli (b.1937).

"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/// 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. "Tanavoli made the silkscreens first and later turned them into carpets by sending them to different weavers across the country. The transformation of the modernist prints into carpets can be seen as an ongoing investigation into the dichotomy between tradition and modernity. "Tanavoli is a key member of the Saqqakhane movement, a term first used in 1962 by the Iranian art critic Karim Emami to describe a group of artists, also labelled ‘Spiritual Pop artists’ or ‘Neo-Traditionalist artists’, who integrated votive Shiite folk art into their practice. The movement began when a number of artists, including Charles Hossein Zenderoudi and Tanavoli (who had returned from studying in Paris and Milan, respectively) started to adapt traditional Iranian motifs and themes into their work as a way to create a bridge between tradition and modernity." Leyla Fakhr, 2011 A publication will accompany the exhibition, containing the history of Tanavoli's printwork. To view the works in person it is advisable to contact the gallery in advance.