Artemis Akchoti Shahbazi
  • Home
  • Wooden Books of Persian Kings
    • Artist Statement
    • The Shahnameh >
      • Khorshid Khanoom
      • The First Kings
      • Sharnavaz
      • Kaveh
      • Zal
    • The Qajar Dynasty >
      • The Six Qajar Kings
      • The Men of Nasser El Din Shah
      • Agha Mohammad Khan & Mahde Olia
      • Qajar Lady
    • The Pahlavi Dynasty >
      • The Last Kings
      • The Story of The Last Kings
  • Projects & Installations
    • The Impermanence Platform >
      • A Conversation with Amir Soltani, human rights activist, filmmaker, author.
    • Sanctionwear >
      • Artist Statement
    • The Matrix of Our identity >
      • Artist Statement
    • Qajars in Perspective >
      • Artist Statement
    • A Mirror for Inner Wisdom
  • Paper
    • Artist Statement
    • A (very) Brief History of Iran
    • Three Qajar Kings
    • The Qajar Dynasty
    • Jebheh Ye Melli to Revolution
    • Prince Alexis Soltikoff
  • Other Kings... Other Stories....
    • Artist Statement
    • Table of Content
    • Paarde Khani
  • About
  • Contact

WOODEN BOOKS OF PERSIAN KINGS

"Wooden Books of Persian Kings" is a series that includes the first Iranian Kings from Ferdowsi's creation myths, alongside the last monarchs from the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties.  Contrary to the narrative miniatures typically used to illustrate Ferdowsi's epic poem, Artemis' kings and queens are portraits, each the result of a thorough investigation of the esthetic elements attributed to each ruler by Ferdowsi or, in the case of the more recent dynasties, the study of 19th century travelogues, painted portraits and photographs. The artist tempers this approach by perusing contemporary faces of random people who wear a given ruler’s name.  All the portraits are symbolically non realistic, informed by poetry, prose and the artist's investigations. The emphasis is on working within the predetermined shapes and dimensions for each ruler and on how the natural place and shape of things have been manipulated to challenge the viewer’s recognition of expected esthetics, forms, colors and concepts.
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Copyright © Artemis Akchoti Shahbazi 2013-2021
​All rights reserved
  • Home
  • Wooden Books of Persian Kings
    • Artist Statement
    • The Shahnameh >
      • Khorshid Khanoom
      • The First Kings
      • Sharnavaz
      • Kaveh
      • Zal
    • The Qajar Dynasty >
      • The Six Qajar Kings
      • The Men of Nasser El Din Shah
      • Agha Mohammad Khan & Mahde Olia
      • Qajar Lady
    • The Pahlavi Dynasty >
      • The Last Kings
      • The Story of The Last Kings
  • Projects & Installations
    • The Impermanence Platform >
      • A Conversation with Amir Soltani, human rights activist, filmmaker, author.
    • Sanctionwear >
      • Artist Statement
    • The Matrix of Our identity >
      • Artist Statement
    • Qajars in Perspective >
      • Artist Statement
    • A Mirror for Inner Wisdom
  • Paper
    • Artist Statement
    • A (very) Brief History of Iran
    • Three Qajar Kings
    • The Qajar Dynasty
    • Jebheh Ye Melli to Revolution
    • Prince Alexis Soltikoff
  • Other Kings... Other Stories....
    • Artist Statement
    • Table of Content
    • Paarde Khani
  • About
  • Contact