Khosrow Hassanzadeh - Ya Ali Madad

Blending images of the past with contemporary aesthetics, the recent work of Khosrow Hazzanzadeh honors traditions while pushing forward.

This series concentrates on the Pahlavan wrestlers, heros from the turn of the century Qajar period (1794- 1925) . These men would pray to Ali using the words Ya Ali Madad. Calling on Ali, the first Imam in the Shi'a tradition is considered to bring strength and luck because he is a protector of the poor or the underdog. People continue to call on Ali, Ya Ali Madad.

In order to highlight the importance of the prayer, the letters that spell out Ya Ali Madad cover the canvas. The movement of the letters creates pattern and texture. The repetition of script in turn echos the words until they become seemingly uttered without pauses for breath.

The imagery repeats itself multiple times becoming a continuous investigation into form and color. The technique remains the same, silkscreen and acrylic on canvas. The colors are vivid, deep and sumptuous. Azur blue, oranges, Gold, turqoise and deep reds all vie for the eye's attention. Placing images from the series Ya Ali Madad next to Persian illuminated manuscripts there is a familiar blending of script, pattern and form.



The Pahlavan are the central figures in the series. The two men hold hands as a court intellectual, a dervish, a General and a mullah are seated on either side of them. These individuals came together to pray before the wrestlers would begin. For Khosrow the Pahlavan represent a past that is he fears is disappearing from contemporary Iran's cultural memory.
By returning to the imagery and lore of the Pahlavan, the artist aims to remind the viewer of the strength, beauty and honor that these men possessed. He is interested in recalling the memory of a period in time. The figures haunt this series as their images become reduced as in one canvas to simply gold outlines on black canvas.





Pieces of this series are currently on view at B21 Gallery in Dubai. This is his second solo exhibition in Dubai.






Concurrently, pieces are also included in the exhibition Living Traditions: Contemporary Art from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Laleh Khorramian : Zenith and Nadir

Relationships. Love affairs. sexual encounters. The emotional spectrum that they embody at times can make one feel as if they have reached the Heavens while at other times, its opposite. The highest of heights vs. the lowest of lows. The Zenith by definition is a vertical direction that points away from the force of gravity. Its opposite, Nadir, goes with the force of gravity. Given the meanings of these two words the significance of this opposition gives way to a better understanding of the most recent work of Iranian artist Laleh Khorramian.


Exhibited in New York at Salon 94 Freemans and currently at Third Line Gallery in Dubai I Without End (6:20) is a time lapse animation featuring figures carved from orange peels. As these two figures intertwine, they become life-like. As the piece continues, the figures begin to loose their suppleness, freshness, only to slowly being to dry out and rot. These organic forms undergo a natural cycle of decay.

It is a visual metaphor for the human life cycle. What comes from the earth returns to earth. However, life itself is filled with moments of ecstasy and sublime interaction with man, god, and one's inner self. During the course of the piece, these personifications act out a passionate encounter. As they move through a variety of positions their forms eventually begin to curl inward. With the evolution of time, the once verile bodies become impotent and frigid. The initial intimate ecstasy of their sexual encounter gives way to lost love and pain.

The setting for this romance is rendered sacred. Windows of various sizes and shapes let light into their intimate space.
The light is soft, and dramatic reminiscent of that of renaissance masters. The figures are lit in such way that the details of their skin becomes tantalizing. The shine of the skin becomes visually appealing,sensual and perhaps even erotic. The orange color of the peels and the softness of the the yellowish white blend beautifully, the skin and its inner layer. We are voyeurs to the absurd; sexual tension and arousal between two peels.

I Without End is one in a series of animation pieces that represent the elements; earth, water, space, air and fire. This being fire, the burning desire of human passions.

Images are stills from I Without End. 2008 time lapse animation. 6.20 min.

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