Well-known Iranian graffiti artists living in and outside Iran, for the first time exhibited their works at Graffik Gallery - a unique contemporary venue specializing in street and urban art in London.
Another set of works by Iranian street artists was previously showcased at Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran in May 2014 concurrent with a display at the gallery’s New York branch that hosted works by 10 street artists from Iran.
According to gallery director Nader Seyhoun, the event was curated by Icy and Sot – two urban artist brothers from Tabriz, Iran – who asked the participating artists to create works compatible with available space in the gallery that would be somewhat close to the Iranian way of life.
The art of graffiti – writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface, often in a public place – is a newborn urban phenomenon. It is still a long way from wide recognition even in metropolises in Iran where few people are familiar with the subject.
Although few instances of this outstanding form of art is scattered on walls in large cities, the phenomenon is worthy of added acknowledgment and appreciation than the few sporadic exhibitions held so far.
Graffiti is by nature a concealed and withdrawn form of visual art that rests in dark and narrow corners of urban areas. Quite fittingly, the field artists also seek secrecy in their media, work, and pseudonyms of choice. Abcnt (LA), CK1 (San Francisco, CA), Icy and Sot (Brooklyn, NY), Black Hand (Tehran, Iran), FRZ (Tabriz, Iran), ill (Tabriz, Iran), PST (Toronto, Canada), Ghalandar (Tehran, Iran), and Omet (Tehran, Iran) were among the participants in the event.
The exhibition was complemented with ground breaking urban documentaries including ‘Iran’s Urban life’ by Samira Davarfara, ‘Here is Tehran’ by Saeed Hadadi, and ‘Street Sultans’ by Zeinab Tabrizi & Paliz Khoshdel.
Some graffiti workshop, as well as an Iranian urban art panel discussion chaired by Roya Arab, Dr. Susan Babaie, Ala Ebtekar were held on the sidelines of the exhibition.
The two-week event was curated by Shaghayegh Cyrous and Roya Arab.
