Parastou Forouhar: Kiss Me

Parastou Forouhar's third solo show in London presents her latest body of work, the 'Kiss Me' series of textile banners, an exciting new chapter in her art. The exhibition will be on view at the Rose Issa Projects in London from February 19 - March 28, 2014.

Parastou Forouhar / Kiss Me Series, Deconstructed textile banner and Haberashery Embellisments, 130x50 cm, 2013 / Courtesy of Rose Issa Projects

Iranian artist Forouhar initially gained an international following for her work 'Written Room' by painting vast spaces with mesmerising, rhythmic, invented script. However, she became better known for her digital drawings, intricate and seemingly whimsical works that, on closer inspection, reveal macabre scenes of violence and torture. These works were a response to dramatic personal experience: her parents, well-known intellectuals were murdered in Tehran in 1998 in a case that remains unsolved to this day.

For her new body of work, Forouhar uses a medium that she has experimented with before in her series 'Funeral' (2003), 'Safari' (2004), and 'Countdown' (2008) â€“ the traditional religious banners that are draped in public spaces in Iran during ceremonies. In the previous series she used the banners to upholster office chairs, create giant beanbags and fashion funeral shrouds, but in 'Kiss Me' they appear in their true form. These colourful banners usually have a central medallion with messages about mystical devotion, spiritual love and self-sacrifice. In Forouharâ€™s series, she has embroidered the medallion with lyrics from a 1950s pop song, Mara Beboos ('Kiss Me') by Viguen Derderian, and embellished the banners with feathers, furs, sequins, and appliquÃ©d motifs.

Parastou Forouhar / Kiss Me Series, Deconstructed textile banner and Haberashery Embellisments, 130x50 cm, 2013 / Courtesy of Rose Issa Projects

'Kiss Me' can be interpreted as the artistâ€™s gesture of reconciliation towards the past and an attempt to quell current tensions, crises and chaos with an uplifting message of affection and harmony.