a huMane concern KooroSH SHISHeGArAn 104 ProFIle T he city of Qazvin, northwest of tehran, is dotted with archaeological sites and remains from its seat as the Safavid Dynasty stronghold, and it is here that Koorosh Shishe- garan’s story begins. the celebrated Iranian artist smiles as he narrates the incident that spurred a four-decade career in art: it was in the early 1950s when a friend showed him a drawing that he had made of a deer jumping over a rock. Stirred by the image’s simplicity, the young Shishegaran ran home to draw a portrait of a family member. “My father took one glance at my drawing and recog- nised his cousin,” laughs the artist. “that was the start; it was the motivation that I needed to begin my career.” Born in 1944, the eldest of six siblings was raised in a family whose primary concern was to make ends meet. “Deprivation sharpens the eye; it means experiencing great pleasures from simple things,” explains Shishegaran. “A childhood in such an atmosphere entails floating in many colourful dreams.” From a young age, he worked with his father, a skilled self-taught artisan who helped famil- iarise his son with different materials and methods – a proficiency which proved useful in Shishega- ran’s later years. “I was fascinated with anyone who had a skill in something; it didn’t matter what the profession was,” he says. “Whenever I saw a good blacksmith, I wanted to be a blacksmith. Whenever I saw a good carpenter, I wanted to be a carpenter and so on.” Growing up against the backdrop of the 1953 Iranian coup d’état and its repercussions in an under- privileged home meant that Shishegaran’s parents were preoccupied with daily struggles – a concern that worked to his advantage. “there was a kind of unawareness then, and looking back, I realise that this actually served to my benefit,” he recalls. “Besides, I was so passionate about art that my parents eventually had no choice but to support me.” the family moved from Qazvin to tehran and Shishega- ran joined the School of Fine Arts in 1974, where he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design alongside classes in sculpture. After graduating, he taught sculpture at the Fine Arts Female High School in tehran for three years, an experience he felt was an extension of his artistic practice. “I was a graphic designer, a sculptor, an architect and a painter,”he says. “I tried my best to be creative in everything I did.” twists, curves and vibrant colours characterise this Iranian artist’s work that is centred on the human condition. Myrna Ayad and Mojgon Davari meet Koorosh Shishegaran in tehran and discuss the figurative within the abstract and vice versa. 105 Opening spread: (Detail) The Man Behind the Table. 2006. Digital print on canvas. 130 x 130 cm. Image courtesy Khak Gallery, Dubai/Tehran. This page: (Detail) Untitled. 1992. Acrylic on canvas. 130 x 160 cm. Image courtesy Khak Gallery, Dubai/Tehran. ProFIle 106 ProFIle Art For tHe PeoPle throughout the 1970s, Shishegaran experi- mented in various media – from painting and graphic design to posters and script-based works and more – each presented a different style and distinct message. the common de- nominator among all was a desire on his part to make his art accessible to the public, but more importantly, to reflect the public. “I always felt that the main cause of a sense of detachment between people and art is art’s inaccessibil- ity,” he explains. “Art should not be something decorative limited to a wealthy man’s wall.” one strand of Shishegaran’s multimedia practice saw him rebel against the boundaries and restric- tions of Modernism by incorporating traditional Persian motifs in his re-appropriation of works by Modern Masters such as Picasso and Mon- drian. Using a limited palette, he derived spe- cific elements from the original paintings, fused them with his own style and exhibited them in various venues in tehran in 1976. Aside from paintings, which were pre- dominately figurative, the later part of the dec- ade saw Shishegaran create art posters that were focused on social and political issues as tensions rose across the region. In response to the lebanese Civil War, he created a silkscreen post- er in postcard size entitled For Peace in Lebanon While Shishegaran intended for it to be a message for peace, the method by which he communi- cated this strengthened the statement altogeth- er: he mailed the postcard to numerous political and social centres and in doing so, became a cultural activist. “I knew I was in danger for creat- ing these posters,” laughs Shishegaran, who had also created an image that featured a pen to imply freedom of speech. Between 1977–79 his work reacted to the seismic political, economic and social shifts in Iran that culmi- nated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy and the instalment of an Islamic republic led by Ayatollah ruhollah Khomeini. “When the people were revolting in the streets, I felt I had to be in- volved too,” he explains. “Whatever I created was all for the people, all for peace.” This page: Untitled. 2011. Acrylic on canvas. 160 x 130 cm. © Koorosh Shishegaran. Image courtesy Opera Gallery. Facing page: (Detail) Untitled. 2000. Acrylic on canvas. 130 x 130 cm. © Koorosh Shishegaran. Image courtesy Opera Gallery. 107 “there was always instability, tension and volatility. You never knew when things would explode and i got used to creating work in such a heated environment.” Shishegaran, like many of his peers, has always been concerned with the hu- man condition. He sided with the people – a concept he took further by design- ing and producing furniture with the help of his two brothers. the project, Art for Production , saw the Shishegaran brothers implement the skills they had learnt as children from their father, to create chandeliers, wardrobes, armchairs, tables and chairs. “I believe everything surrounding us, even in our own homes, is tied to art,” he says. With the onset of the Islamic revolution the project was halted, though Shishegaran intends on exhibiting some of these design pieces that have stood the test of time. “there was always instability, tension and volatility,” he muses. “you never knew when things would explode and I got used to creating work in such a ProFIle 108 ProFIle “in a sense, i draw what is lacking. i am describing a situation that exists but i am telling the story of a situation that doesn’t exist.” 109 ProFIle heated environment.” In the early 1980s he stopped creating his posters too, but after over three decades, Shishegaran presented one, For Peace on Earth , to london’s opera Gallery that staged an exhibition in April featuring the work of 55 Contemporary Iranian artists. the poster is based on his painting of the same name, also presented at the show and which, for Shishegaran, represents hope. “there’s a bright path on earth, which, after many twists and turns, ultimately gives birth to the white flower of peace,” he says. leAnInG on lIneS As the Iran-Iraq war raged for eight years and witnessed Shishegaran’s drawings influenced by the conflict, his art moved towards the classical, featuring still-life paintings of flowers, fruit and portraiture. It was during this time that he began abstracting figures by incorporating lines and diluting forms to emphasise asexuality – this was and still is Shishegaran’s focal point: “they are neither male nor female. they are emblems. they are simply humans,” he stresses. one may be This page: (Detail) Portrait. 1997. Acrylic on cardboard. 70 x 50 cm. Image courtesy Khak Gallery, Dubai/Tehran Facing page: (Detail) The Table. 1997. Oil on canvas. 130 x 130 cm. Image courtesy Khak Gallery, Dubai/Tehran. 110 forgiven for assuming that the lines allude to calligraphy, especially in pieces such as The Man Behind the Table from 2006 and a yellow, black and white untitled piece made in 1992. “At the heart of [Shishegaran’s] work, there lies a fascination with the possibilities of calligraphic line,” notes British art critic, curator and author edward lucie-Smith. “the lines he creates are in theory abstract, but his images often have a figurative core.” Another central theme to consider in Shishegaran’s practice is the analysis of the invisible within the visible – though his paintings present an ab- stract expressionistic aesthetic, they are also a cathartic rendering of contem- porary socio-political issues. “there is a constant interplay between what is ob- “iran is a global metaphor for the human condition.” ProFIle 111 ProFIle This page: (Detail) For Peace on Earth 2013. Acrylic on canvas. 180 x 180 cm. © Koorosh Shishegaran. Image courtesy Opera Gallery. Facing page: Left: (Detail) Portrait 1992. Oil on canvas. 70 x 70 cm. Image courtesy Khak Gallery, Dubai/Tehran; Right: (Detail) Red Miniature . 2006. Acrylic on canvas. 130 x 160 cm. Image courtesy Khak Gallery, Dubai/Tehran. served in the external world, and what is generated without reference to that world,” notes lucie-Smith. “It is the oscillation between the two realms that engages the spectator – his paintings are first one thing, and then another.” For decades and in response to his surround- ings, Shishegaran has sought to give form to societal challenges through his abstract works. “Instead of painting the actual disastrous inci- dent, I create very odd lines, forms and twists that reflect my own internal problems as well as those within my society,” he explains. “In a sense, I draw what is lacking. I am describing a situation that exists but I am telling the story of a situation that doesn’t exist.” this explains his energetic brushstrokes in vibrant shades – an expressive visual language of swirling lines, sharp colours and a play on light and shadow. the twists and turns of rigorous bands of col- our, rendered three-dimensionally, are central to his oeuvre and recall his proficiency in graphic design. “With colour, I am able to define the painting’s tone,” adds Shishegaran. the linear curves, animated tones and themes dominat- ing his artworks take their inspiration from Iran, which in turn, feels the artist, is representative of disorder all over the world. “there is chaos everywhere and the movement in my work symbolises this chaos,” he explains. “Iran is a global metaphor for the human condition.” leAPS AnD BoUnDS the art scene in Iran changed with the instal- ment of Mohammad Khatami as President of the Islamic republic in 1997. His two-term reformist rule witnessed a flourishing of Contemporary art, during which time institutions staged exhibitions in Iran and the country’s art was presented inter- nationally at galleries and auctions alike. though Shishegaran had participated in international ex- hibitions over the years, his art received greater acclaim with the Christie’s Dubai sales that have witnessed his works achieving at least double their presale estimates. “I’m looking at the rise in interest in Contemporary Ira nian art in a very hopeful way,” he smiles. “I’m happy for those who received international attention and I’m also re- lieved that the ‘hype’ has subsided.” throughout the years, Shishegaran has experimented with other genres, combining photography with his abstract swirling lines. “I always wanted to try out new things – from mu- sic and poems, to cinema and writing and more, all of which are sources of inspiration,” he says. “I just wish I had enough time on my hands to do them all!” For more information visit www.kooroshshishegaran.com