Ida Aslanian

Private collection, Switzerland

This work is in good condition. The colours are accurate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted circa 1983. 

Ida Aslanian is an Iranian born artist of Armenian descent. She moved to Geneva in 1970, where she studied at the School of Fine Arts. Her body of work revolves around the deconstruction and simplification of the rich Islamic miniatures from the Safavid era, detaching them from their initial purpose. 

Her early works were very bright, playing on her memories of the rich Iranian visual landscape. On her move to Switzerland, she found her surroundings a constant source of inspiration. One element particularly struck her: the subdued and mysterious colours that she encountered. As a result her oeuvres became increasingly silent and her palette darker. 

Inspired by Rothko, Nicholson, and Rosenberg, the constraints of her Iranian upbringing and particularly the restrictions on figural representations within Islamic culture, were pivotal in her move towards structural abstraction and representing the void.