Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian
Sunset Sunrise, a retrospective of Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian opens at the Irish Museum of Modern Art on August 9. Now in her mid-nineties this is her first solo exhibition in Ireland. More than 70 works are on display with 1970’s sculpture, jewellery, embroidery, collages and drawings fresh from the artist’s studio in Iran.
Farmanfarmaian was one of the first Iranian students to study in the US after World War II. Between 1945 and 1957 she worked alongside iconic American artists such as Jackson Pollock, Frank Stella, Louise Nevelson and Andy Warhol. In 1957 she returned to Iran and was abroad when the Islamic Revolution broke out in 1979. This marked an exile until 1992. Now firmly re-established in her native country she is considered one of the most important Iranian artists working today. The Monir Museum opened in 2017 and is the first museum in Iran dedicated to a female artist.
Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian said: “The Irish and the Iranians share a love of poetry in their cultures. My poetry is in my art, and I am honoured to share it in this IMMA exhibition”. The opening is to be performed by international curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, co-director, Serpentine Galleries, London.
