Shirin Gallery Tehran requests the pleasure of your company at the book launch of Ali Akbar Sadeghi, The Complete Works along with the showcase of his recently restored version of his animations. The books focus on Sadeghi's many diverse artistic activities, highlighting his expansive practice across many artistic fields. The launch will celebrate three books which cover the artist's works from the 1960's to date.
 
The Life Book is a survey of Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s seminal works, which molded his artistic aesthetics over two decades. In this era, he experimented with various media and techniques such as graphic design, vitrail, and film.  By reviewing this phase, various aspects of the artistic and sociological history of Iran during 1950s to 1970s, are revealed.

The Love Book is a survey of Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s paintings from the 1970s, beginning with the "Myth & Math” series,  which span over a period of 30 years.  The other series of works such as Coalition, Nails, Rebirth and Camouflage  give a more precise insight into the artist’s fascinating surreal world.

The Lost Book is a collection Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s poetry, written between 2005 and 2006 when he suffered from severe depression and was unable to paint. His poetry shows a vague and naive altitude towards the world surrounding him.  Each piece is represented by a small drawing composed of elements mentioned in the related poem.
 
 
Opening Hours:
Opening Reception: Friday, April 15,  4-8 pm
Panel Discussion: April 15, 5:30
Saturday through Thursday, 11am -7pm | Gallery is closed on Mondays
 

 
Ali Akbar Sadeghi (Tehran, 1937)
In his evocative paintings, Sadeghi draws on the rich traditions of Persian art, but adds to them a surreal edge. They involve dizzying spatial manipulations and startling combinations of real and fantastical objects, producing kaleidoscopes of colour and form.  A master storyteller, Sadeghi's tales incorporate various sources that range from historical Persian iconography of swords, horses, gardens and warriors, to the compositions of archetypal Iranian miniatures and portraits. Sadeghi rearranges subjects of his interest in a variety of media, including painting, graphic design, illustration and animation. From this perspective, he is considered a master of Iran’s visual arts of the last five decades. Besides his paintings, Sadeghi has made seven films and won many awards at International Film & Animation Festivals. Sadeghi has been recognized as an outstanding cultural figure and contributor to Iranian art and culture by the Ministry of Culture in Iran.
 
About ABbookness
Founded in 2012 by Tehran-based curator Ali Bakhtiari, ABbookness and ABprojects are curatorial platforms that focus on modern and contemporary Iranian art. The mission of ABprojects is to highlight the less-represented aspects of Iranian art, through publishing artists books and organizing related exhibitions.

ABbookness is the first Middle Eastern artist-book project, as the publishers collaborated with particular artists that help push the boundaries of this media. ABbookness has published the texts and works of Farideh Lashai, Parviz Tanavoli, Parvaneh Etemadi and Ali Akbar Sadeghi.
 
About Shirin Gallery
Shirin Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and platform for curatorial and educational activities, which seeks to foster international cultural exchange. Originally established in Tehran in 2005, the gallery opened a second space in Chelsea, New York in 2013. Through the presentation of works from emerging and established Iranian artists, Shirin Gallery is committed to the exhibition of works that push the boundaries of contemporary art, as well as international perceptions of the Middle East.