“Iranian themes had possessed the very fibre of my being and haunted my thoughts.”

- TANAVOLI, AS QUOTED BY SHIVA BALAGHI, MONOGRAPH, P.29.

Still deeply active in the Iranian and international art market after six decades of activity, Parviz Tanavoli endeavours to build an enduring legacy for his homeland. Considered one of the most important artists from Iran, a pioneer and co-founder of the Saqqa-khane school, and a mentor for many young artists, Tanavoli derives his pictorial style from Persian culture and mythology. Most of his sculptures offer new narratives for the tales of his forefathers, which he treasures and strives to pass down for perenniality.

Throughout his career, Tanavoli built a whole landscape of three-dimensional art, connecting Iranian features with new styles inspired by Pop art, often characterized by a minimalistic, almost naive outlook. Tanavoli was first animated by the desire to challenge “pretty art”, as promoted by the school of Kamal-ol Mulk that prevailed in Iran at the time. In doing so, Tanavoli forged his very own conception of being an artist, displaying his talent in every possible way. But despite his remarkable rugs, paintings or jewellery creations, Tanavoli essentially always remained a sculptor, a role he believes to be indissociable from that of poet (Tanavoli 2020).

His Lovers series is an ode to the famous Persian love story of Shirin and Farhad. Tanavoli looks upon the character of Farhad both as a muse and a role model. In folk stories, he was a stonecutter who fell in love with the Armenian princess Shirin. His rival, Sassanian king Khosrow Parviz, promised him to let him marry the Princess if he manages to carve a set of stairs in the Behistun Mountain, an impossible task. But as he sees Farhad succeeding in his mission, Khosrow tricks him into believing that Shirin is dead, whereupon the sculptor kills himself. This timeless tale of love and fate played a crucial role in Tanavoli’s artistic output. As he took the responsibility to revive the art of sculpture in Iran, turning himself into Farhad’s disciple, he created various works showing the carver and himself in tender embraces, in a common Sufis depiction of devotion. With time, other figures replaced him in these works, giving birth to the Lovers series.
“A creative blend of classical poetry, Shiite rituals, tribal crafts and ancient Persian monuments, Tanavoli’s art is, in a sense, an amalgamated record of Iranian cultural history.”

- SHIVA BALAGHI IN MONOGRAPH, P.39.