Mar 6, 2021 11:00 AM in Pacific Time (US and Canada)
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About Nicky Nodjoumi
Brooklyn-based artist Nicky Nodjoumi was born in Kermanshah, Iran in 1942. Earning a Bachelor’s degree in art from Tehran University of Fine Arts before relocating to the United States in the late 1960s, Nodjoumi received his Master’s degree in Fine Arts from The City College of New York in 1974. Returning to Tehran to join the faculty of his alma mater, Nodjoumi joined his politically galvanized students in their criticism of the Shah’s regime, designing political posters inspired by the revolutionary spirit sweeping the country, only to be exiled once more in the aftermath of the revolution.
This political engagement has continued to the present day. His nuanced figurative paintings engage in political discourse with a light, satirical touch, layering his personal heritage and lived experiences in Iran and the United States into scenes that resonate beyond specific historical contexts or geographical boundaries. Nodjoumi’s works are conceived of as theatrical stages, where compositions of figures both serious and ridiculous, in the words of Phong Bui, “house meanings without irony, narratives without stories, humor without morality, above all creating a space that heightens the awareness of old and new history.” Serious in subject matter and witty in execution, these rich and diverse characters enliven Nodjoumi’s narratives and allude to collective experiences underpinned by socio-political struggles, articulating the full spectrum of feelings from aggression to victimhood.
Nicky Nodjoumi’s works are in several prominent institutional collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London, Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, the DePaul Art Museum in Chicago, and the National Museum of Cuba. The artist lives and works in Brooklyn.
About Houman Sarshar
Dr. Houman Sarshar received his Ph.D. in comparative literature from Columbia University in 2000. He is an independent scholar, the co-editor of three volumes of The Contemporary History of Iranian Jews, and a contributing author to the Encyclopædia Iranica and The Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World.
Dr. Sarshar is a licensed psychoanalyst in the state of New York, with over 13 years of experience as a private practitioner of Gestalt therapy and Jungian psychoanalysis.
Some of his publications include, Esther’s Children: A Portrait of Iranian Jews (2002); Jewish Communities of Iran: Entries on Judeo-Persian Communities Published by the Encyclopædia Iranica (2011); and The Jews of Iran: The History, Religion, and Culture of a Community in the Islamic World (2014). Dr. Sarshar has also published numerous articles modern Persian literature, including the entries on Nima Yushij and Sohrab Sepehri for the Encyclopædia Iranica.
Dr. Sarshar is the founder of the Kimia Foundation, a culture foundation dedicated to promoting the art, culture, and history of Iran. With over 5,000 original photographs, the Kimia Foundation holds the largest archive of Qajar court photography outside the Golestan Palace in Tehran.
Dr. Sarshar is presently working on his next book about the role of boy dancers in the history of Iran’s entertainment world.