‘The Garden of Mystery‘ opens at Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street London W1G 7LP from Wednesday 22 November to Friday 1 December 2017, in celebration of the 700th anniversary of Gulshan-i Raz, one of the greatest works of Persian (Sufi) poetry, written in the early 14th century by Mahmoud Shabastari. Featuring contemporary art by young emerging British artist, Taha Afshar, the selling exhibition is supported with additional work by one of the most prominent Iranian artists of the contemporary period, Monir Farmanfarmaian from Tehran and Y.Z. Kami, who lives and works in New York. The works on display, by artists born in disparate decades and living in Britain and internationally, differ in style and execution but share a connection and resonance with core themes within Sufi literature and practice.
In addition to the art on show and for sale, a number of eminent experts are gathering for a panel discussion on the subject of The Garden of Mystery, 700th anniversary and the influence of Sufism in contemporary visual arts, which takes place on Tuesday 28 November 2017 at 18.45, introduced by Mariam Neza, Curator of Arts and Learning at Asia House:
Dr Ladan Akbarnia, Curator, Islamic Collections, British Museum
Dr Sussan Babaie, Andrew W. Mellon Reader in the Arts of Iran and Islam, The Courtauld Institute of Art
Dr Leonard Lewisohn, Senior Lecturer, Iran Heritage Foundation Fellow in Sufi Literature, Exeter University
Dr Taha Afshar, exhibiting artist.
The exhibition and panel discussion are free to attend. Please register for the panel discussion through www.asiahousearts.org
Mirror mosaic, 70 cm diameter, 1977. Courtesy of Rose Issa Projects
oil on linen 30″ (76.2cm) x 16″ (40.6cm) unframed (KAMI 2012.0010)
© Y.Z. Kami. Photography by Rob McKever. Courtesy Gagosian.
