TEHRAN – An exhibition of works by renowned Iranian artists such as Hossein Zenderoudi, Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam, Abbas Kiarostami, Parvaneh Etemadi, Monir Farmanfarmaian, Ardeshir Mohassess, and Lili Matin-Daftari is underway at Pirsook Gallery in Shiraz, Fars Province.

In recent weeks, works by prominent figures of Iranian modern art have been exhibited at Pirsook Gallery. The paintings, sculptures, and installations on view are mostly selected from the private collection of pioneering Iranian artist Fereydoun Ave, curated by the artist himself, ISNA reported.

The exhibition opened on December 5 and was scheduled to run for one month. However, according to Nima Taghavi, director of the gallery, the exhibition will be extended due to strong public interest.

Taghavi explains that he had long planned to organize an exhibition of Iranian artists’ works, but a phone call with the distinguished artist Fereydoun Ave altered the project’s direction.

“I contacted Ave, who was in Paris at the time, and asked him to advise us on organizing the exhibition. He responded very warmly and generously made a significant portion of his private collection available to us,” Taghavi said.

Fereydoun Ave, who resides in Paris, traveled to Shiraz for the exhibition and, according to Taghavi, “also supervised and assisted with the installation of the works.”

Taghavi added that Ave was particularly interested in making Iranian modern and contemporary art accessible to the public. As a result, a diverse selection of works by multiple generations of Iranian artists was chosen for display at Pirsook.

Some of the exhibited works belong to first-generation pioneers of Iranian modern art, such as Hossein Zenderoudi, Lili Matin-Daftari, Bahman Mohassess, and Ardeshir Mohassess. The exhibition also features works by artists such as Parviz Tanavoli, Farshid Mesghali, and Farhad Moshiri.

Alongside these established figures, works by contemporary painters and sculptors are also presented, including Sareh Abbasian, Morteza Zahedi, Mohammad-Hossein Gholamzadeh, and Sahand Hesamian. In addition, pieces by artists from Shiraz are included.

This broad selection allows visitors to view the evolution of Iranian modern art from a historical perspective. In total, works by 55 artists are on display, creating a rare and diverse exhibition.

Fereydoun Ave himself has expressed surprise at the large number of visitors in Shiraz. “I felt the exhibition was extremely successful. I think at least two thousand people took photos with me. Most of them thanked me for making this collection possible and for giving them the opportunity to see what has been happening in Iranian contemporary art.”

Ave, who has also exhibited some of his own works, added: “If I keep this collection in storage and no one sees it, what purpose does it serve? These days, many people share artworks online in virtual spaces, but I don’t know how to do that—I’m not from the digital generation. So, I do what I know how to do.”

Fereydoun Ave, 80, is an Iranian art collector, curator, painter, and sculptor. Much of his work draws from the Iranian epic “The Shahnameh,” such as his “Rostam” series.

He was influenced by his friend and mentor Cy Twombly, with whom he had a 40-year relationship, sharing a studio at several points in his life. Twombly (1928-2011) was an American painter, photographer, and sculptor who influenced many other artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Francesco Clemente, Julian Schnabel, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

As an artist, some of Ave's works are housed in museums worldwide, including the British Museum, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Center Pompidou in Paris. 

Ave is also an established curator and his private collection includes works of Cy Twombly, Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, Abbas Kiarostami, and Andy Warhol.

SS/SAB