Shahpour Pouyan is participating in a group exhibition entitled Iranian Voices, Recent Acquisitions of Works on Paper at the British Museum that opened on 26 November and runs until 2 April, 2017. The acquired work After 'Rustam Slaying the White Div' is part of Pouyan's Miniature series, in which the artist strips celebrated historic Persian miniatures of their central figures, instead exploring the unspoken in their backgrounds.
By removing the characters, Pouyan draws attention to the subtleties concealed in these paintings. On his hazardous journey to find the White Div, Rustam experiences repeated tests of strength, referred to as the 'Seven Courses'. Told that Divs (demons) sleep at midday, Rustam enters the White Div's cave and engages him in a ferocious battle. The hero Rustam emerges as the victor after plucking out the Div's liver. Read more.
