Faramarz Pilaram was a leading proponent of a new Iranian modernism in the 1960s and 1970s. He was one of a group of artists known as the Saqqakhaneh school, whose works were informed by the flat geometries of European modern art at the same time that they drew inspiration from traditional Iranian motifs and narratives. In The Blades (Tigheha), Pilaram’s use of gold and silver papers and stamping recalls the metallic decorations in Islamic calligraphy and illumination.
Gallery label from 2017, updated in 2023