Jazeh Tabatabai

JAZEH TABATABAI (Tehran, 1931 - 2008).
"Bullfighting", 1984.
Gouache on paper.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 31 x 41 cm; 54,5 x 74,5 cm (frame).

Painter and sculptor trained at the School of Dramatic Art and the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran, Tabatabai became one of the most important artists in the Iranian avant-garde art. He worked in painting, poetry and sculpture, always creating works in which he confronted the traditional conception of art. Tabatabai was awarded various decorations and founded the Iran Modern Art Gallery, thus enjoying international recognition that led him to exhibit in many countries, such as Germany, Sweden, India, China, Monaco and Spain. His style is characterized by innovation both in its conception and in the materials used (nuts, springs and screws), which the artist combined in different ways in his imagination, resulting in unique and unmistakable works. His paintings are characterized by presenting characters with orientalizing features, such as round-faced women with slanted eyes or even animals with the face of a woman. Many of his works are accompanied by the figure of the sun, an indispensable element in Persian culture. Jazeh Tabatabai spent his last years in the city of Vigo, where he painted works such as the one presented here. His relationship with Spain even led him to paint a series of Meninas, as well as other bulls and bullfighters. His works have been exhibited in temporary exhibitions at the Tehran Biennial in its I, II, III, IV and V editions, as well as in the Biennials of Paris, Sao Paulo and Venice. Some of his works are in private collections and in museums around the world, such as the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Currently, the Museum of Modern Art in Tehran holds a large part of his collection of works.