Sufi's Mystical Journey To Be Explored At ‘Spirituality In Motion' Exhibition During Art Dubai

Dubai, UAE, 9th March 2014: Pro Art Gallery, the gallery that celebrates innovative and cutting edge art in the Middle East, announced that it is hosting a new exhibition titled ‘Spirituality in Motion’, which will showcase artworks by renowned contemporary Iranian artist Hossein Irandoust. The exhibition will run from March 12-20, 2014 at the Pro Art Gallery, located at the Palm Strip Shopping Mall in Jumeriah 1 on Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai. Pro Art Gallery will also hold a special opening night for art lovers, connoisseurs and collectors on March 12th 2014 from 7:30 pm onwards.

The ‘Spirituality in Motion’ exhibition is the second edition of the successful show that was held in 2013, which explored the essence of the mystical dimension of Islam and Sufism practice that is depicted in Hossein Irandoust’s paintings.

“Our first edition of ‘Spirituality In Motion’ late last year was a tremendous success and we were overwhelmed with the response we were receiving from across the region. We had art collectors calling to acquire more works by Hossein Irandoust as there is something spiritual about his minimal use of colors and his paintings are filled with vivid expressions. We are pleased to hold the second edition of ‘Spirituality In Motion’ during Art Dubai as this will give the art connoisseurs and collectors a chance to view Hossein Irandoust’s select work and add some rare pieces to their collections,” said Tatiana Faure, Director of Pro Art Gallery.

Sufism is defined as a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the divine by turning away one’s heart to nothing but Allah. One of the most important doctrines of Sufism is the ‘Perfect Man’ – a man who is the absolute channel that embraces the divine presence by surrendering himself - and denying his ego in front of God; a definition that appears to be the opposite of Friedrich Nietzsche’s perception of the ‘Upper Man’. Hossein Irandoust has captured in his paintings the whirling, gathering and intense meditation of a Sufi, thus transforming into a broken presence in a higher state of trance, and stripped from all worldly desires.

As with many young painters, Hossein Irandoust experimented with many styles and various mediums. He has evolved from painting in the realist style, which developed into a unique style of his own. His paintings hold a minimalistic indication that is influenced by his grandfather’s Chinese culture, in parallel to a simplistic whisper of mystical philosophy that was embraced by renowned Persian poets and philosophers.

The conversions of these diverse yet similar ancient ideological movements are clearly apparent in Irandoust’s latest Darvish series. His work can be found in numerous private and public collections including The British Museum in London.