January 23 – March 7, 2013 ‘Falling Leaves’, by Golnaz Fathi at The Third Line

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 1, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 150x200 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

A trained calligrapher, Fathi has the ability to skillfully transform known language into form and composition. Shifting from the stringent rules of the calligraphic discipline, she soon found artistic solace in a new form of expression in her paintings: an imaginary language deeply rooted in Persian tradition while simultaneously hinting at a social renaissance.

This new series revolves around the seminal Iranian text of the Shahnameh as its central theme. The Shahnameh or Shah-nama (Book of Kings) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies.

The work represented branches out from her usual approach, incorporating instead figurative elements that were inspired from a lithographic illustration of the poem. This distinct departure from her original text based exploration demonstrates Fathi’s inner visual dialogue and interpretation of the poem. The artist relates to the book themes of futile wars as still relevant today in her native Iran, and in the Middle East in general – confirming the notion of history repeating itself.

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 2, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 200x150 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 3, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 150x200 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 4, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 150x200 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 5, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 200x150 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 6, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 150x200 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 7, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 200x150 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 8, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 170x304 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi / Untitled 9, 2012, mixed media on canvas, 170x304 cm / Courtesy of The Third Line and the Artist

Golnaz Fathi

Fathi has exhibited in a number of international shows, including at The Art of Writing, Art Forum of Wiesbaden, Germany (2011); Transvangarde, Contemporary Art from Around the World, October Gallery, London, UK (2011); Ride Like the Wind, Sultan Gallery, Kuwait (2010) and participated in the International Woman Artists’ Biennial, South Korea (2009). Fathi received the Young Global Leader 2011 award and her works are housed in the collections of Brighton & Hove Museum, England; Carnegie Mellon University, Doha, Qatar; Asian Civilization’s Museum, Singapore; The British Museum, London; Museum of Islamic Art, Malaysia; and Farjam Collection, Dubai. She currently lives and works in Tehran, Iran.

The Third Line

The Third Line is a Dubai based art gallery that represents contemporary Middle Eastern artists locally, regionally and internationally. In addition to on-going exhibitions, The Third Line hosts non-profit, alternative programs to increase interest and debate in the region. Represented artists include: Abbas Akhavan, Ala Ebtekar, Amir H. Fallah, Arwa Abouon, Babak Golkar, Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Farhad Moshiri, Fouad Elkoury, Golnaz Fathi, Hassan Hajjaj, Hayv Kahraman, Huda Lutfi, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Lamya Gargash, Laleh Khorramian, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Pouran Jinchi, Rana Begum, Sahand Hesamiyan, Sherin Guirguis, Shirin Aliabadi, Slavs and Tatars, Tarek Al-Ghoussein and Youssef Nabil.