Footnotes

"It has been too long that the majority of international media outlets have portrayed my fellow nationals, country, and heritage as something that is clearly false, and I think it is long overdue to start showing the truth and realities of Iran instead of all this negative propaganda circulating everywhere." – Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar

Bonhams is delighted to present to you this exquisite piece from Sassan Behnam-Bakthiar's The Real Me Series. Sassan Behnam-Bakhtiar was born in 1984 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. In the early 1990s, Behnam-Bakhtiar and his family moved to their native country Iran where he spent the following 10 years of his adolescence. During this time in Iran he became fascinated by the country's landscape and architecture and fully immersed himself within its rich culture. He traveled around the country absorbing and documenting as much of his surroundings as possible before moving to Europe to commence a degree in London. In 2011, Behnam-Bakthiar left London and settled in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat where he was able to foster his creativity and develop his artistic career further. His works have been showcased in exhibitions worldwide and he has received international acclaim for the series 'The Real Me' and 'Invincible'

This highly emotive and striking body of work shines a contemporary light on the historical and cultural heritage of his beloved motherland, Iran. These works are a contrasting geometrical collage of traditional tapestry set against the magnificent backdrop of the historical Persian architecture. His carefully crafted compositions seek to strike a balance between the rich art historical legacy of Persia and the political context that colours the region today. In Kashan II, the magnificent backdrop of Iran's oldest extant garden which was completed in 1590, the Kashan Fin Gardens unveils the modernity and relevance of Iran's history in the modern world today. The magnificent garden covers 2.3 hectares with a main yard surrounded by ramparts with four circular towers. In keeping with many of the Persian gardens of this era, the Fin Garden employs a great many water features. The warm oriental tones against the black and white backdrop infuses a sense of nostalgia and a mystical quality to the work. Sassan's oeuvre focuses on what it means to be Iranian in today's society, from both a regional and international perspective; how heritage informs the present and the continuing role which nostalgia plays in building the country's future.