Farhad Moshiri (b.1963, Shiraz) was, without a doubt, one of the most celebrated artists of Iran and the wider Middle East region. Moshiri passed away unexpectedly on July 17, 2024, at the age of 61. His death was first announced on Instagram by UAE-based Third Line Gallery, which has represented the artist since 2006. “Our journey with Moshiri began in 2006 with New Paintings by Farhad Moshiri at our first space in the UAE. Since then, we’ve cherished witnessing his ever-evolving practice,” the gallery said in a social media post, continuing, “Our thoughts are with his family. Farhad Moshiri will be deeply missed and remembered as both a friend and an artist. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

During the Iranian Revolution, Moshiri studied in the United States, completing his education at the California Institute of Arts. He returned to Tehran in 1991, crafting a unique style that explored the commonalities between Iranian and Western cultures. Drawing inspiration from Pop Art, he created figurative works using everyday objects and luxurious materials like pearls, crystals, sequins and gold leaf. While his art seemed playful and decorative, it carried a critical narrative, addressing the social changes and restrictions of contemporary Iran's Islamic republic following the 1979 revolution, playfully responding to vernacular forms by critiquing and recognising the allure and limitations of the Western world. Moshiri's experimentation with materials such as cake icing dispensers, embroidery, Swarovski crystals and kitchen knives added texture and depth, showcasing his skill in infusing playful irreverence and layered meanings into his work.

From the outset of his career, Moshiri gained recognition for his ironic fusion of traditional Iranian forms with elements of global popular culture as they appeared in Iran. Later on, living between Tehran and Paris, Moshiri created a unique artistic language blending Iranian and Western cultures, which influenced many artists and thinkers globally. I remember coming across his solo presentation at Art Basel’s Unlimited in 2009 and later during Art Dubai at his gallery and in Paris. He was a great influence on younger generations following his footsteps. Mid-career Iranian-diaspora artist Shahpour Pouyan said to STIR, “Almost 20 years ago, when I talked to Farhad [Moshiri] over the phone and asked him for advice on how to show my art in Tehran, he immediately introduced me to Fereydoun Ave, the art dealer and artist in Vanak, North of Tehran. He was gentle and generous. That’s how I started exhibiting my art in Tehran for the first time and then internationally. All thanks to his gesture and kindness.”

Moshiri also had an immense influence on one of the co-founders of Third Line Gallery, Sunny Rahbar. Speaking to STIR, Rahbar states, “Farhad became the reason why I was starting to go to Iran. Everything that I learned about Iran was through [the] experiences that I had with him and his wife Shirin Aliabadi…he really was the starting point of my new relationship with my homeland that I grew up distant from. Farhad wasn't just a friend and an artist that I had the honour of working with for the past 20 years, he was also an important point of connection to Iran for me and for our friends who were also coming back home.” Rahbar notes that when The Third Line presented Moshiri’s work for the first time in 2006, “he was already kind of known and people were anticipating that show. And he came, and around 2006 and 2007 is also when all the auction hype started….And of course, as you know, Farhad became one of the star artists at these auctions, so it was crazy.”

Reflecting on Moshiri's impact and artistic legacy, it is crucial to highlight his relationship with his late wife, Shirin Aliabadi (1973-2018). Rahbar notes that The Third Line also represented Aliabadi. "Visiting them felt like a double studio visit. They inspired each other, creating a body of work that few know about," he recalls. This partnership was notable for its collaborative and supportive nature. Their mutual influence was evident in their discussions about each other's work during studio visits. “Their love was the kind of love that you wish for yourself and for people that you love to have that kind of relationship, where you are collaborators and partners…. So whenever I'd go to their studio to see Farhad or Shirin's work, they would both be talking about each other's works,” she emphasised.

Whether it is a regional or global success, his experimentation with colour and material and his artistic and personal influence, Farhad Moshiri will be remembered as a unique, significant figure who was renowned for his generosity and kindness. Through ‘candy’ colours and hybrid materials in paintings and installations, he played with the codes of modernism while developing a flamboyant iconography and will continue to be remembered for this after his untimely death.