Firouz FarmanFarmaian | The New York Collection

NAVA Contemporary is pleased to present The New York Collection, a new online exhibition of artwork by Firouz FarmanFarmaian. Spanning three separate series and over a decade of his practice, this collection of artworks developed in New York expresses FarmanFarmaian's desire to reassess his pre-pandemic explorations revolving around tribal semiotics and architectural abstraction.

History and memory inform the work of Persian-born artist Firouz FarmanFarmaian, whose lifetime of living in exile in Paris, France profoundly influenced both his creative practice and individual character. "It is circumstance that ultimately shapes lives", says the artist, whose work seeks to actively engage in a dialogue with the past. As such, his compositions possess a vivacious and spontaneous energy, as well as a deeply symbolic quality, which speaks to a multiplicity of currents in politics, art and philosophy.

Rooted in Persian lore, and focused on themes of nature, architectonics and the interplay between realism and abstraction, FarmanFarmaian's diverse body of work is united by common motifs of movement and texture. The raw and visceral emotion of his pieces is tempered by their material properties, which are strongly rooted in a resolute emphasis on craftsmanship. Each work is the result of careful contemplation of the techniques and tools that will achieve a singular aesthetic and emotional intention. Developed between 2011 and 2014, the Hybrid Series sits at the tail end of a period in his practice where he was focused on architectural abstraction and the intersection of the organic form that led to most of his work on canvas ever since. This can be seen throughout the BK series from 2018 as well which focuses on the deconstruction of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines.

The Totem Series provides the foundation for FarmanFarmaian's investigation into tribal semiotics beginning in 2016. Due to his interaction with the Amazigh Berber Tribal Culture, he was able to find a commonality with his own tribe who had been displaced since the Iranian Islamic Revolution. The result are totems that are rooted in transformation, expressing concepts of unity and solidarity.

Firouz FarmanFarmaian lives and works in Athens, Greece. This is his first exhibition following his inclusion in the 59th Biennale di Venezia where he was commissioned by Central Asian Kyrgyz Republic to produce its pavilion. His works are featured in the collections of Queen Farah Diba, Mo Afkhami, Christiane Amanpour and Antonio Banderas to name a few.