Parviz Tanavoli: Poets, Locks, Cages

The most significant English-language publication to date on a prominent Iranian sculptor. Born in Tehran and based in Vancouver, Parviz Tanavoli is one of the most well-known Iranian artists working today. Widely recognized as the only artist to fully capture the interplay of the country’s pre-Islamic and Islamic identities, Tanavoli draws on traditional motifs and iconography from Iranian history, creating a new visual symbology through his groundbreaking sculptures. Parviz Poets, Locks, Cages examines the layering of sacred and secular histories in Tanavoli’s work, an integration that is crucial to understanding the development of modern sculpture in Iran. Offering fresh perspectives on Tanavoli’s artistic practice, the catalog gathers contributors from diverse backgrounds to examine his work through a range of research interests and perspectives. Produced to accompany a 2023 exhibit of the same name at the Vancouver Art Gallery—the first major Canadian exhibition of the artist’s work—the book examines the breadth of Tanavoli’s interdisciplinary practice, from painting and printmaking to ceramics and mixed-media assemblages.