Farhad Moshiri

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 2007

Condition: In good condition.
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One of Farhad Moshiri's most striking hand-embroidered works to come to public auction, Space Station epitomises his experimentation in juxtaposing the crafts of Iran with the modernity of the West.

By utilising a material and a technique that is so inherently Iranian, Moshiri pushes the boundaries of the medium by contrasting the traditional with the modern. The ostentatious craft of hand embroidery was traditionally used for ornamentation and decoration of textiles. In this work, Moshiri turns this notion on its head and challenges the technique by offsetting it against a scientific composition. The application of embroidery is a technique which is traditionally associated with women and so in another twist, Moshiri has co-opted it and brought into a male-dominated domain.

Space Station was first shown in conjunction with a series called Treasures of Persia, the genesis of a seminal phase in Moshiri's work when he began to experiment with the juxtaposition of tradition and modernity, contrasting materials and subject matter. These works included compositions with computers and robots embellished with shiny and glamorous beads and sequins. In the present work, Moshiri is attempting to represent the new Iranian identity; aspirational and courageous with ambitions based in technology, science and medicine.

Space Station is the first of a series which Moshiri worked on with the determination to make the hand-embroidered canvases larger and more elaborate. This unique work epitomises what Moshiri has endeavoured to achieve throughout his artistic career; a combination of and balance between his native culture with its deep-rooted traditions and the advent of a mechanised and industrialised way of life disseminated from the West.

The proceeds of this work will be sold to benefit the Bidoun Projects charity.