Shahpour Pouyan

Shahpour Pouyan investigates power, domination, and possession in his sculptural practice, transforming historical and political narratives into deeply reflective compositions. Referencing architectural forms, Iranian miniatures, and ancient symbolism, his work examines the persistence of authority and aggression across time. Engaging the past, Pouyan revisits motifs such as helmets, chainmail, and miniature painting to consider the lasting consequences of historical transgressions and the ever-evolving dynamics of power. Moving fluidly across cultures and disciplines, his sculptures occupy a space between critique and contemplation, transforming histories of violence into monuments of ambiguity.

Pouyan was born in Isfahan, Iran, in 1979. He studied painting at the Art University of Tehran between 2004 and 2007, before completing an MFA in Integrated Practices and New Forms at the Pratt Institute in 2012. He has received numerous awards and honours, including a Ceramic Fellowship at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2023); the Ellsworth Kelly Award for Visual Arts (2022); a fellowship at the Kenneth Armitage Foundation, London (2020); and a fellowship at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York City (2014). Pouyan has exhibited internationally, with solo presentations at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Ghent (2021), and the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (2019), and has participated in major biennials, including the Beijing Biennale, China (2017); the Yinchuan Biennale, China (2016); and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India (2014). His work is held in major public collections, including the Cornell University Museum, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran; the British Museum, London; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Pouyan currently lives and works in New York.

Image courtesy of Will Amlot.