Fereshteh Daftari's 'Persia Reframed' Challenges Western-Centric Views of Iranian Art

Fereshteh Daftari, a scholar and former curator at MoMA, published 'Persia Reframed: Iranian Visions of Modern and Contemporary Art' through I.B. Tauris in 2019. This 122-page work challenges prevailing stereotypes about Iranian art, critiquing Western-centric viewpoints. Daftari delves into Iranian Modernism, starting from the early 20th century, and argues that terms like 'modernism' inadequately represent local artistic expressions. Key historical moments are highlighted, including the Qajar period and the emergence of sculptor Parviz Tanavoli in the 1960s. A chapter is dedicated to the Saqqakhaneh movement, merging religious and folkloric elements with modern art. The latter part, titled 'The Tip of the Iceberg,' examines contemporary artists such as Nazgol Ansarinia, Shirin Neshat, and Shahpour Pouyan, emphasizing that identity encompasses national, cultural, and historical complexities rather than mere selfhood. The book concludes that Iranian art cannot be uniformly categorized.