Explore culture and identity during this tour of Farhad Moshiri’s first solo museum exhibition. Iranian-born artist Farhad Moshiri spent a portion of his formative years in the United States during the Iranian Revolution, returning to Iran years later as a young adult and artist. While Moshiri addresses contemporary Iran’s traditions and historic isolationism, he simultaneously acknowledges the powerful appeal and influence of Western culture in his homeland. Moshiri’s interest in Pop art and kitsch resonates throughout his work. The artist transforms mundane materials into intricate, laborious works of art, while drawing simultaneously from cartoons, films, comic strips, children’s books, and advertisements as well as classical poetry, soap operas, and pop songs. Moshiri’s work takes a complex look at how we define our own cultural identity.  

Image Credit: Farhad Moshiri, Yippeeee, 2009, Embroidery and acrylic on canvas on board, private collection, photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli.