Entertainment | Visual Arts
Tales from the past
Iranian artist Hannibal Alkhas's works are greatly influenced by Assyrian literature, ancient bas-reliefs and the narrative element of Persian miniatures
- By Jyoti Kalsi, Special to Weekend Review
- Published: 00:06 July 18, 2008
He established the first modern art gallery in Iran in the 1960s and is considered to be the most influential modern artist in Iran.
But 78-year-old Hannibal Alkhas sees his role as that of a poet or philosopher who influences society by keeping the younger generation in touch with their roots while guiding them towards contemporary thought and action.
His multilayered canvasses bring alive tales from the past beautifully linking them to the present and the future.
Son of famous Assyrian writer Rabi Adai Alkhas, the artist has been deeply inspired by Assyrian literature and the ancient bas-reliefs and stone sculptures of ancient Assyria, Babylon and Daric Persia.
But he has spent many years in the US as a student and teacher and has also assimilated into his work modern Western perspectives and techniques.
Since 1992, he has been teaching at the Azad Islamic University of Iran and has exhibited widely in the US and Iran.
Alkhas is exhibiting his work for the first time in the UAE at the recently opened B_ASEMENT Gallery.
The centrepiece of this exhibition is a massive panel comprising 15 large canvasses that took four years to complete and has never been exhibited outside Iran.
In this colourful painting, titled, Story of the Assyrian, Alkhas combines historical events, autobiographical narrative, mythological symbols and scenes from daily life to tell a compelling tale about the history of his people and their present situation.
Also on display are several paintings from the artist's famous Renaissance series that pay tribute to Goya, Rembrandt, Picasso, Che Guevara and others who influenced his work.
His most recent paintings done in vivid poster colours with handwritten messages in Farsi are also part of the exhibition.
Weekend Review spoke to Alkhas about the inspirations behind his work and his unique style. Excerpts:
What is the inspiration behind Story of the Assyrian?
This work is inspired by one of my father's poems which tells the history of the exodus of the Assyrians from Urmiah, a city in Western Azerbaidjan.
The images are based on the poem and on what I have read about the exodus and the eventual massacre known as “Semail''.
The painting begins with an arc of ancient Assyrian bas reliefs on the right and then it shows my grandmother, Narges with her two children enjoying the grapes from a vine.
The birds also take grapes to their nests for their young. Then the exodus starts and goes through the mountains to S.W. Hamadan and eventually Kermanshah. From Kermanshah, the Assyrians move to Teheran.
I have painted this section with a yellow background to depict the golden era when a magazine titled Gilgamesh was published leaving a deep influence on today's Assyrian literature of the world.
Towards the end of the painting the Islamic Revolution happens and I as muse stand on the furtherest left of the painting hoping that the exodus will not move to Europe or America. But it does.
And now there are more Assyrians in America than anywhere else.
How did you develop your unique style?
My style is inspired by the narrative element of Persian miniatures.
My images and compositions are influenced by the stories told on the bas reliefs and carved stone sculptures of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians.
I like the way ancient artists expressed their love for animals through their beautiful depictions of lions and lionesses and light-hearted ridicule of their own half-king and half-God rulers and I have incorporated these elements in my work.
But I believe that two-dimensional paintings can tell a tale better than three-dimensional works because the artist has the freedom to make faraway images appear closer.
What Western influences did you imbibe during your long stay in the US and how do you combine Middle Eastern and Western sensibilities in your art?
Medieval art and Renaissance art have inspired me to choose storytelling in my work. I admire Rembrandt as the best expressionist of an era before Expressionism was born.
El Greco has a great influence in my elongating and dramatising the human figure. In Persian literature Kelil ed-Demneh is a book where many dangerous secrets are told through the symbolism of animal figures.
I embrace that subtle political way and choose to express myself through symbolism.
In the US, a great teacher advised me not to embrace modern abstract art but to learn how to draw a figure and how to simplify it, exaggerate it and form it into a procession for a good cause.
I love to see lines of people — whether it is a line waiting for bread or meat or a religious processions singing and marching in the streets during Islamic ceremonies and these are often seen in my work.
In your opinion, what are the responsibilities of an artist and how can an artist influence society?
An artist's responsibility is not to start a revolution or a violent anti anything. Artists are not propagandists. They should be like poets and philosophers whose influence in society is felt over a long time.
What have been the most memorable experiences in your long and distinguished career?
The number of students that I have seen blossom and become great artists with important exhibitions to offer.
What is your opinion about Dubai's development as an art centre? What motivated you to have an exhibition in this city?
Dubai is like a happening given by modern artists.
Great cities get old and ancient and the spotlight moves on to new places. This does not surprise me and it makes me very happy. The world changes and it is wise to accept this.
Jyoti Kalsi is a USE-based arts ethusiast.
Story of the Assyrian runs at B_ASEMENT gallery in Al Quoz, Dubai, until July 26.
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