Lawrie Shabibi is proud to host No Scheherazade, a solo show by Iranian-British artist Farhad Ahrarnia. Famous for his embroidered photography and wood inlay techniques, Ahrarnia combines these signature styles with an immersive backdrop inspired by Prince’s 1987 video Sign O’The Times. The exhibition will end on 28 January 2025.
With its title referring to Scheherazade, the legendary storyteller from The Thousand and One Nights, the show delves into the cultural landscape of the 1980s. It pays homage to Princess Diana and American artist Keith Haring, two icons who defined the visual and social aesthetics of the era.
During the late 1980s and 1990s, Diana used her fashion choices to embody contemporary values and aesthetics. Similarly, Haring leveraged clothing as a medium to disseminate his bold visual language. By limiting the visual information and focusing on particular aspects, Ahrarnia plays with the power of brand recognition and engages directly with themes of fashion and clothing.
One highlight of the exhibition is Ahrarnia’s And God Saved the Queen series, which features press photographs of Princess Diana wearing her iconic outfits. The images are cropped to obscure Diana’s face, shifting the focus to her vibrant blazers and dresses, embroidered with designs drawn from Haring’s art pieces. It is so obviously Diana that one does not need to see her face to recognise her. Likewise, the motifs are obviously Haring’s.
Another significant piece on view, Touch, Composition with Left Hand, reflects on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Dedicated to Keith Haring, who became a victim of the disease, and Princess Diana, who challenged stigmas surrounding it, the artwork layers hands in various wood tones, symbolising humanity and connection. Smaller inlaid wood works depict individual fingers and thumbs, echoing the cropping technique used in And God Saved the Queen. These fragmented yet intimate details underscore the themes of touch and care that defined Diana’s humanitarian legacy.
The exhibition also includes a commissioned soundscape by producers namyrr and Brian Ellis. This auditory experience interweaves chopped and stretched 1980s music, Iranian devotional songs, and excerpts from Princess Diana’s interviews, creating a layered narrative that complements the visual elements.
About the artist
Farhad Ahrarnia (b. 1971, Shiraz, Iran) splits his time between Shiraz and the UK. In 1997, he graduated from the Northern Media School at Sheffield Hallam University (UK), where he studied Experimental and Documentary Film Theory and Practice.
Inspired by the traditions of his hometown, Ahrarnia’s methodology involves ancient techniques, such as embroidery, metalwork, and mosaic, to draw on sociocultural constructions and motives that reference national codes. The artist also takes cues from Russian Constructivism and Surrealism. By juxtaposing traditional Orientalist craft techniques and elements of pop culture, Ahrarnia examines the tension between Islamic heritage and Western modernity.
Ahrarnia has displayed his art pieces in many exhibitions, including Seeing Is Believing: The Art and Influence of Gérôme (Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar, 2023); Art in Another Language (solo) (Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut, Lebanon, 2019); Recentring Modernism, Insights Sector (Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2016); Contemporary art: the territory of the artist and society, 6th Tashkent Biennale (Uzbekistan, 2011); and Sheffield Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale (Italy, 2007), among others.
Ahrarnia’s works are in several collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (California, USA), the Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth), the British Museum (London, UK), and the Huma Kabakci Collection (Istanbul, Turkey), to mention a few.
To get more information about No Scheherazade, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
Additionally, you might be interested in viewing Five Consecutive Dreams, Five Suns, And A Garden by Charbel-Joseph H. Boutros.
