Masculinity in Contemporary Iranian Art

For three decades, the dominant image presented in the Western media of Iranian men has been black. Marked by their black robes, black turbans, black beards, and black guns, Iranian men are embedded within a complex web of meanings. The burden of history weighs on this generation. Some part of this weight is pictorial—a revolution, a war, and an Islamic state—all deeply immersed in the power of representation. Manhood becomes steeped in thick symbolism—of patriotism and piety, sacrifice and martyrdom. Through their creative work, several Iranian artists recast the culture of manhood, farhang-i mardanegi.  In this talk, Shiva Balaghi, professor of Iranian studies at Brown University, examines representations of masculinity in the work of several contemporary Iranian artists including Parviz Tanavoli, Khosrow Hassanzadeh, Sadegh Tirafkan, Shoja Azari, and Siamak Filizadeh.

Brown Auditorium | Free, reservations required | Tickets: 323 857-6011 or email amec@lacma.org by December 12.

This program is sponsored in part by the American Institute of Iranian Studies and Art of the Middle East: Contemporary.

Image: Siamak Filizadeh (Iran, b.1970), Untitled, from the series Rostam 2 – The Return, 2009, Digital print on canvas, Purchased with funds provided by the Karl Loring Trust and Art of the Middle East: Contemporary, © Siamak Filizadeh.