CURATED BY JANET RADY
HYDRO SPACE GIUDECCA ART DISTRICT
“In Fact, no one understands the ‘Nomadic Displacement of Sorts’ and the idea of ’Trace’ better than Farmaian”
Charlene Rodrigues – Middle East Eye
FarmanFarmaian’s multimedia works revolve around the ideas of movement and memory as they apply to the life and consciousness of a self-identified nomad. “
Huffington Post
History, memory and the post-tribal inform the work of Persian-born artist Firouz FarmanFarmaian, whose lifetime of living in exile in Paris, in Andalusia and in North Africa profoundly influenced both his creative practice and individual character. “It is circumstance that ultimately shapes lives,” says the artist, whose work seeks to actively engage in bridging dialogues between past. and future, east and west, archaic craft and innovative technology. As such, his compositions possess a vivacious and spontaneous energy, as well as a deeply symbolic quality, which speaks to a multiplicity of currents in ecology, politics, art and philosophy.
Originally rooted in Persian lore and focused on themes of nature, architectonics and interplay between realism and abstraction, Farman Farmaian’s ever evolving body of work presents deep underlying explorative segments united by common motifs of movement and texture. The raw and visceral emotion of his pieces is tempered by material properties often produced and sourced within the framework of tribal collaborative craftsmanship. Each work is the result of careful contemplation of the techniques and tools that will achieve a singular aesthetic and emotional intention. These in turn are deftly combined to create a unique visual rhythm across a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, film, music and AR.
Firouz FarmanFarmaian lives and works in between Andalusia and Athens.
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Janet Rady & FirouzFarmanFarmaian
CURATOR - JANET RADY

Based between London and the United Arab Emirates, Janet Rady is a specialist in the field of Islamic and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art. Janet holds a first class Masters’ Degree in Islamic Art History from the University of Melbourne, and a BA from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
 
Born in Malta, Janet visited the Middle East in 1974, and subsequently lived in Iran from 1983-84.
Janet continues to travel regularly in the region.
 
Janet is a member of many professional bodies including Finarta, The Private International Art Network, The Arab British Chamber of Commerce, The Advisory Council of CARAVAN, and The Council of the Iran Society.
 
Her expertise and knowledge have led her to become a nominator for the V&A Jameel Prize, curator for the Benetton Foundation Imago Mundi Project (UAE and Bahrain collection), and a Judge for the Khor Online Art Initiative. Janet was appointed to join Chiswick Auctions in 2020, as a specialist in Modern and Contemporary Middle East and North African art.
 
Janet has guest curated exhibitions for the peace building NGO CARAVAN Arts including the I AM touring exhibition of thirty-one women artists from the Middle East, and an exhibition of thirty-eight premier Bahraini, Egyptian and Lebanese artists entitled "KHALIL GIBRAN: A Guide for our Times" at Sotheby's London.
 
Janet is the co-author and editor of “Transcending Conflict” The Private Collection of Ambassador John Rakolta Jr and Mrs Terry Rakolta and has also edited a specially commissioned survey on present-day artists in Bahrain, “33 Artists…33 Islands…A Kingdom of Art”.

Janet has worked with a range of clients including private individuals, corporations and art advisors from the UK, USA, Europe, Egypt, Lebanon, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran. She has worked on corporate projects in Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE and has placed works in institutions such as the British Museum, V&A, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA.

She regularly lectures about Middle Eastern art and has talked at the MIA on the occasion of their exhibition Qajar Women: Images of Women in 19th century Iran in 2015.
