The Modern Metaphor in Traditional Air | Reza Geramy
Why I Choose Not to Repeat
It’s easy to look at the history of Iranian art—the miniatures, the tilework, the calligraphy—and simply try to reproduce its undeniable beauty. But for me, the power of traditional art lies not in its physical appearance, but in its idea, its foundational spirit. My goal has never been to be a copyist; it’s to be a translator.
My current painting series is born from the conviction that we can honor the past without being tethered to its visual rules. This is how I attempt to achieve my “personal atmosphere” in drawing: by extracting the core ideas and metaphors from our literary and artistic heritage and giving them new life.
Tradition Meets the Modern Iranian Reality
The real challenge—and the greatest reward—is in bridging the gap between that timeless tradition and the current moment. When I draw, I am not just thinking about beautiful patterns; I am thinking about the life lived today. My work is inevitably charged with the atmosphere of contemporary Iran, a place of profound social and political intensity.
I use metaphor to filter this reality through a traditional lens, creating spaces that feel both familiar to our culture’s history and entirely new to our time. It’s an alchemy of old spirit and new circumstance.
The Space for the Viewer
Perhaps the most important element for me is the audience’s freedom. By deliberately avoiding familiar forms or obvious references, I want to remove the intellectual barrier that says, “I know what this is.” I’m not providing a definitive statement; I’m offering an experience.
When you stand before one of my pieces, you aren’t meant to recognize a story from a specific historical text. You are meant to be with the image, to feel it, and to have your own utterly personal translation. That dialogue—the one that happens between the viewer and the non-familiar form—is where the art finally becomes modern, and truly alive.
