JAVAD MODARESI

Bisotun
5 January -26 January, 2018

Assar Art Gallery presents Bisotun, the latest series of paintings by Javad Modaressi.

In his first solo show with the gallery, this young and talented artist switches to nature after painting ancient and contemporary architecture and cityscapes for some years. He chooses mountains this time, Mount Bisotun in particular, which is of the Zagros Mountains range located in Kermanshah Province in western Iran.

All the legends related to this mountain, including the famous Farhad and Shirin love story, as well as the large rock relief on its cliff and its multilingual inscription, and the fact that the imperial road from Ekbatana to Babylon passed at the foot of the mountain gives this particular mountain a symbolic presence.

To the artist, mountain is a multifaceted existence that makes it an interesting subject matter from both formalistic and conceptual viewpoint. Mountains are major part of mythical stories and unattainable to the mankind whose major concern is to possess. They give their climbers the illusion of having full control over the world and are a place for the Prophet’s “afflatus”.

In his latest works, Javad Modaressi shifts from using unorthodox materials to oil paint and charcoal once again and creates seven canvases that perfectly depict his painterly skills.

Born in 1979 in Mashhad where he currently lives and works, Javad Modaressi received his MA in painting from Shahed University in Tehran. He has had eight solo shows in Tehran and participated in several group shows in Europe.