Div'ar On the Wall
An opportunity to view the works of Hamed Sadr Arhami from 19 Bahman to 3 Esfand 1403 (February 8 to February 22, 2024).
The exhibition "Divar" by Hamed Sadr Arhami at Niyan Gallery offers a unique experience that intertwines history, society, and humor. The artist’s works, through a surrealist lens[1], innovatively and satirically represent historical, social, and political concepts. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a poetic manifesto composed of harmonious and rhythmic phrases, setting the contemplative tone of the exhibition. The roots of this collection trace back nearly two decades to Isfahan, where the painting "The Eternal Lady" marked the beginning of the "Divar" series. This piece depicts a woman with her head resting on her knees, with the wrinkled fabric of her dress and the pressure of her hands on the cloth delicately conveying pain and suffering. (Image 1)
On the other hand, the painting "Hamel" (one of the latest works in the series) serves as a powerful metaphor for the "Motherland." Here, a gray wall with intricate texture features a protrusion resembling a pregnant belly. A rose painted on this protrusion evokes traditional motifs found on ancient Iranian pottery, reflecting national identity. (Image 2) Part of the description of this work reads: "Look at the wall when it is a prison, and then when it is a womb."[2] In this series, Sadr Arhami reinterprets historical symbols and motifs, such as the royal murals of the Chehel Sotoun Palace, Fath Ali Shah’s Salute Scene, Leonardo da Vinci’s "The Last Supper", [3] and Raphael’s "The School of Athens", [4] through a contemporary lens.
In the large-scale work "Anatomy of Sentimental Fall "(230×170 cm), the contrast between the past and present reaches its peak. The background features a faded image of Fath Ali Shah’s Salute Scene, pushed back by a unique texture that is the artist’s signature, emphasizing its historical weight. In the foreground, a majestic woman is depicted falling from a white horse. A green fabric above and a red fabric below, alongside the white horse, evoke the familiar colors of the Iranian flag. This tragic scene seems to unfold under the gaze of history, with the artist himself standing among historical figures in the right corner of the painting. The interplay of gray chiaroscuro and the luminous highlights on the woman’s dress and the white horse enhance the visual beauty and impact of the work. (Image 3)
Perhaps the most daring piece in the collection is the painting referencing da Vinci’s The Last Supper. (Image 4) Part of the description states: "Here, the portrait of Christ has been replaced with Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi; the wall is crumbling, and an explosion has created a large hole in the face of the central figure. The surrounding texture and cracked, dripping paint all signify imbalance and the departure from an ideal symmetry. This work symbolically depicts the position of the Iranian king on the night before his departure from Iran and the end of the Pahlavi dynasty. Just as Christ lacks a halo in the original painting, the deposed king of Iran also bears no trace of a divine halo or crown. In this tragic scene, however, a hand emerges from nowhere, playing a saxophone; this anachronistic and contemporary element in a historical context evokes the trumpet of Israfil, blown on the Day of Judgment. By displacing historical figures, the artist confronts us with the truth that history repeats itself, portraying the wall as a vast canvas that encompasses a spectrum of meanings between two perspectives."
Visitors to the exhibition can view 13 paintings and a short film created in collaboration with Vahid Emkanian. The exhibition will run until 3 Esfand 1403 (February 22, 2024).
1. surrealism
2. Sadrarhami, hamed, statement, 2025.
3. The Last Supper
4. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519 Italy)
5. The School of Athens
6. Sadrarhami, hamed, div'ar catalogue, nian gallery, tehran, 2025
