.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Christie's is pleased to present this outstanding diptych by Reza Derakshani, in which the artist intends to explore nature and its beauty whilst revealing social and cultural issues affecting his Persian heritage.
In Every Day and Every Night, Derakshani offers a dynamic and compelling diptych, composed of tender and utopian colours, depicting a peaceful bed of leaves. The heavily textured surface and bold brushstrokes, however, add a rougher undertone to the romantic appeal of the work. A strong sense of poetic rhythm and musical harmony is echoed through his oeuvre and highlights the artist's skillful talent as a vocalist, instrumentalist, composer and performer. Derakshani cleverly uses the complementary nature of opposites, by using strong contrasts in palette and symmetry while playing with both lightness and darkness. While Every Day and Every Night is undeniably an exceptional composition, it nevertheless struggles with a much more sober reality, as Derakshani's concerns revolve around issues tackling modern Iran and its legacy, perhaps the dispersed leaves one witnesses hint to the issue of the Iranian diaspora and echo a common sense of fragmentation. Indeed, Derakshani confronts us not only with visual contrasts, but also with moral and ethical insights. Charming, powerful and overwhelming, Derakshani's oeuvre has assertively placed him amongst the greatest masters of Iranian art. Not only is his practice visually splendid, it is also socially engaging, thus leading the viewer to reflect on social structures and boundaries. The creation of beauty is for the artist an act of revolution in itself and the present painting is a delightful example of the artist's constant search for meaning in life and art as well as their respective definitions.
In Every Day and Every Night, Derakshani offers a dynamic and compelling diptych, composed of tender and utopian colours, depicting a peaceful bed of leaves. The heavily textured surface and bold brushstrokes, however, add a rougher undertone to the romantic appeal of the work. A strong sense of poetic rhythm and musical harmony is echoed through his oeuvre and highlights the artist's skillful talent as a vocalist, instrumentalist, composer and performer. Derakshani cleverly uses the complementary nature of opposites, by using strong contrasts in palette and symmetry while playing with both lightness and darkness. While Every Day and Every Night is undeniably an exceptional composition, it nevertheless struggles with a much more sober reality, as Derakshani's concerns revolve around issues tackling modern Iran and its legacy, perhaps the dispersed leaves one witnesses hint to the issue of the Iranian diaspora and echo a common sense of fragmentation. Indeed, Derakshani confronts us not only with visual contrasts, but also with moral and ethical insights. Charming, powerful and overwhelming, Derakshani's oeuvre has assertively placed him amongst the greatest masters of Iranian art. Not only is his practice visually splendid, it is also socially engaging, thus leading the viewer to reflect on social structures and boundaries. The creation of beauty is for the artist an act of revolution in itself and the present painting is a delightful example of the artist's constant search for meaning in life and art as well as their respective definitions.