Farhad Ahrarnia b. 1971
On the Road, the Silk Road 1, 2010-2011
Hand embroidery on digital photography on canvas, silk, cotton thread, sequins and needles
79 x 110 cm
31 1/8 x 43 1/4 in
Framed:
106.6 x 140 x 7.2 cm
31 1/8 x 43 1/4 in
Framed:
106.6 x 140 x 7.2 cm
Copyright The Artist
‘(Ahrarnia) presents hand crafted thread and needle embroidered works entitled On the Road, the Silk Road, which create a new vernacular in art history whereby the needle and colourful thread...
‘(Ahrarnia) presents hand crafted thread and needle embroidered works entitled On the Road, the Silk Road, which create a new vernacular in art history whereby the needle and colourful thread act as a substitute to the paintbrush and paint palette. Thread is historically used by tailors in his native Iran as a measuring device, and here it doubles as a measurement of migration, which akin to thread is not elastic and therefore, more prone to breakage, ruptures and disconnections. These works capture not only the artist’s continued interests in the legacy of Greater Persia but also instigate the resurrection of the delicate ties that were severed during the Soviet period. Ahrarnia subtly offers suggestions for new and alternative routes, mapped through threading and stitching, yet his works acknowledge the reality of knowing that one can never really go back to a nostalgic epic past, but can only move forward.’ Sara Raza, Migrasophia, 2012
Farhad Ahrarnia’s practice comprises a diverse range of meticulously crafted works which cover questions of ideological narratives, national identity and inter-cultural exchange. The artist is deeply influenced by the traditions of his hometown Shiraz; his methodology consists of ancient techniques associated with its indigenous culture such as embroidery, metalwork and mosaic to draw on socio- cultural constructions and motives that reference national codes.
Another key influence in Ahrarnia’s work is Kazimir Malevich, the works of that modernist Suprematism being reminiscent of the urban labyrinth that was Shiraz in the seventies and eighties, where Ahrarnia grew up amidst modernist architecture overlaying ancient ruins to create a dynamic city. The sublime beauty and quasi-religious experience inherent to Malevich’s work address a universality which is transcendent of national cultures and identities. By juxtaposing traditional Orientalist craft techniques and paragons of popular culture, Ahrarnia thus explores the dichotomy between Islamic traditions and Western society’s aspiration for progress and modernity.
Farhad Ahrarnia’s practice comprises a diverse range of meticulously crafted works which cover questions of ideological narratives, national identity and inter-cultural exchange. The artist is deeply influenced by the traditions of his hometown Shiraz; his methodology consists of ancient techniques associated with its indigenous culture such as embroidery, metalwork and mosaic to draw on socio- cultural constructions and motives that reference national codes.
Another key influence in Ahrarnia’s work is Kazimir Malevich, the works of that modernist Suprematism being reminiscent of the urban labyrinth that was Shiraz in the seventies and eighties, where Ahrarnia grew up amidst modernist architecture overlaying ancient ruins to create a dynamic city. The sublime beauty and quasi-religious experience inherent to Malevich’s work address a universality which is transcendent of national cultures and identities. By juxtaposing traditional Orientalist craft techniques and paragons of popular culture, Ahrarnia thus explores the dichotomy between Islamic traditions and Western society’s aspiration for progress and modernity.
Exhibitions
Migrasophia, curated by Sara Raza, Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah 2012
Venice Biennale, Iranian Pavilion 2015
