Parviz Tanavoli, (b. 1937 Tehran, Iran), Purple Lion, 2014, Screen Print, Museum purchase with funds provided by Wellesley College Friends of Art 2015.41

Parviz Tanavoli, a contemporary artist known for his bronze sculptures of calligraphic Arabic script, reframes traditional Iranian symbols in a contemporary context. The lion, an ancient symbol of Iranian identity and culture commonly used in Persian royal court decorations, remains closely associated with kingship. A protective talisman against  evil, the lion also represents power and strength. Tanavoli underscores the royal connotation by giving his lion a purple body. The bright colors and linear forms suggest whimsy, but the black lock linked around the lion’s gridded mouth alludes to a deeper political commentary. After the 1979 revolution in Iran, it grew increasingly difficult for Tanavoli to exhibit his work. Despite limits on his creative freedom, he has stated that he is determined to “remain an Iranian artist,” because the country is his main source of inspiration.

-Stephanie Fan, Class of 2022