Saeed Kouros (Iran, Tehran, 1942)Coppia di calligrafie,... Lot n° 20

In 2010, he held a solo exhibition at Gallery 10 in Tehran, while in 2017 he participated in a group show organised by Abbas Gharib (an artist also featured in this catalogue) in Saló, Italy. Between 2007 and 2009, Kouros combined abstract forms with elements that undoubtedly suggest the heritage and tradition of Iran and the Middle East more generally, such as the use of calligraphy. Indeed, words and individual letters become the main subjects of the canvases. Skira recently published his monograph edited by Hamid Keshmirshekan, ‘Saeed Kouros, Picturing Life’ 2020.These two paintings only at first glance show a dynamic and tumultuous representation of lines, geometric shapes and drips of colour, scattered on the canvas in an endless vortex. In reality, some of these elements are letters inserted in a monochrome context of blacks and grays, enhanced by the whiteness of the canvas. Kouros did not intend to report verses from poetry or passages from literature, but he wished to create a sort of new alphabet that would express his inner turmoil and search for a state of peace. Signed and dated lower and at the back. Provenance: the owner had it directly from the artist.