Amir-Hossein Zanjani: Marching

Artist Amir-Hossein Zanjani exhibits at Mohsen Gallery, Tehran, his new series of paintings, centred on the representation of militarism as divided between power and desperation. Subjects are portrayed in military uniforms with expressionistic colours and strokes, evident or partially concealed in the background and divided between triumphant or defeated manifestations.

The artist offers a representation of the power relations within military hierarchies, conveying the message of a military class compromised in its unity and integrity. In creating his paradoxical image of military power, the artist uses diffused images of historical militarism, from both Eastern and Western cultures, from Franco and the Third Reich to the armies of the Eastern Bloc. Zanjani’s research has always been addressed to investigate social problems with referencing to political and historical issues. Awarded in 2011 with the Celeste Prize and in 2015 with at the Prudential Eye Awards as Best Emerging Artist Using Painting, the artist has held several solo shows domestically and internationally and has been featured in more than 30 group shows and fairs, both in Iran and outside the country.