Shadowlands | Zadoc Nava

About

London Gallery West is delighted to present two photographic works by Zadoc Nava: Shadowlands and House of Strength. Nava's images explore a culture both demonised and exoticised in the West, through a perspective that paradoxically reveals both intimate identification and the distance of the outsider. The work is imbued with a mood of melancholy, as well as occasional humour, and presents a revealing panorama of a country in flux. Shadowlands (2007-09) reveals a glimpse of ordinary life on the streets of Tehran; the separate but parallel existence of men and women within Iranian society, the tension between modernity and tradition, and an atmosphere of disquiet and uncertainty. The series is punctuated by images of the monumental hand-painted murals that dominate the city, extolling the commands of the ayatollahs and celebrating the martyrs of the Iran-Iraq war. On the streets below, Iranians go about their everyday business. In House of Strength we gain access to the hidden world of Persian martial arts practiced by Islamic warriors for centuries - a ritualised fusion of dance, combat training, religion and philosophy. This traditional male preserve provides a compelling counterpoint to the images of contemporary life in the public arena. Zadoc Nava is a photographer and award-winning filmmaker based in London. His work has been screened and exhibited internationally at festivals and museums, including the V&A and the Tate Britain. The Shadowlands series will be published in 2010 by Black Dog Publications, in association with Arts Council England. Gallery Talk — Zadoc Nava in conversation with film-maker, author and critic Ben Lewis; contributor to the Evening Standard and Prospect magazine: Wednesday 4 November, 1pm — 2pm at London Gallery West