Lot 147: Gholamhossein Nami (Iranian, b. 1936)

Gholamhossein Nami (Iranian, b. 1936)
Desert
signed and dated 'GH-Nami 77' (lower left)
acrylic on canvas
67 X 53in. (170 x 134.5cm.)
Painted in 1977

Dubai, Royal Mirage Hotel, Iranian Contemporary Art in Dubai

"Earth, which is the major element in the extraordinary architecture of Iran's desert areas, has fascinated me ever since I was a child. This fascination especially came from the cool morning breeze of desert areas and the smell of moist straw, passing through narrow alleyways and straw walls, would haunt the native and indigenous identity of my land.

On the other hand, long experiment witht spirit of Persian calligraphy, whose aesthetic values underscore the cultural identity of the Iranian people, intensified this fascination to use desert and abstract calligraphy as a theme in my works since 1960. Presence of calligraphy in the desert landscapes of my paintings is a remote and vague allusion to inscriptions on portals and interior architecture of desert structures. What is common both in Persian calligraphy and desert architecture of Iran is that they are both the product of thinking Iranians, and therefore, presenting originality and identity of Persian culture."
Gholamhossein Nami