Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian is best known for her mirror-works, in which cut polygonal fragments of reverse-painted, reflective glass are arranged into kaleidoscopic compositions grounded on principles of Islamic geometry. Tied...
Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian is best known for her mirror-works, in which cut polygonal fragments of reverse-painted, reflective glass are arranged into kaleidoscopic compositions grounded on principles of Islamic geometry. Tied to a mystical understanding of primary shapes as sacred and connected to a divine natural order, Monir’s unit-based compositions of luminous glass reveal uniformity, repetition, and precedent as the basis for endless recombination. With Installation of 9 elements (2004), Monir employs diagrammatic organization to establish a spatial order between dissimilar, mirrored forms. Layering contemporary ideas with an Islamic integration of mathematics, bodily presence, and spirituality, this immersive installation work reconnects 20th century abstraction with its theological roots to invite sublime perceptual experience grounded in the body of the viewer. Monir explained in a conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist, “With the reflections, you’re also a part of the art piece. Your own appearance, your own face, your own clothing—if you move, it is a part of the art. You’re the connection: it is the mix of human being and reflection and artwork.”
Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian: Sunset, Sunrise, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland, August 10 - November 25, 2018 Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian: Sunset, Sunrise, Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates, October 12 - December 28, 2019 Mirror-works and Drawings (2004–2016), James Cohan Gallery, New York, NY, January 29 - March 6, 2021.
Publications
Rose Issa, Mosaics of Mirrors Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Tehran: Nazar Research and Cultural Institute, 2006, p35.