The Shrine of Imam Reza, in Mashhad, is the heart of Shi‘ite Iran, while its lofty gold-tiled dome is the most emblematic image of Iran’s state religion. It is also the impetus for this sculpture, which juxtaposes two shiny golden domes, one right side up and the other upside down, united by a slender shaft. This configuration gives the composition a tensile, even malleable quality, in contrast to the inherent rigidity of the bronze material as well as the tectonics of the inspirational dome. Such implied flexibility, along with the duplication and inversion of the iconic dome, visualize the artist Kamran Sharif’s belief that multiple directions and paths may lead to God and spiritual enlightenment.
Born in Tabriz, Iran, Sharif studied at the Mirak School of Visual Arts, where he began his career as a sculptor; he is especially at home working with bronze for both large- and small-scale compositions. This sculpture belongs to a series currently in production. Sharif has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Iran and the United States, where he is based today.
