Lion and Sun IV , 2001

In Lion and Sun IV, Parviz Tanavoli engages directly with one of the most powerful and historically charged symbols in Iranian visual culture: the Lion and Sun. For centuries, this emblem has represented sovereignty, protection, cosmic balance, and national identity, appearing across architecture, manuscripts, textiles, and flags. Tanavoli’s interpretation reclaims the symbol not as political insignia, but as a cultural archetype filtered through modern artistic language.

Rendered in the Qashqa’i textile tradition, the lion is reduced to a bold, geometric form composed of flattened planes and simplified contours. Its stance is frontal and assertive, yet stripped of decorative excess. The sun, traditionally a radiant and dominant presence, is subtly integrated into the composition, allowing the lion to remain the central force. This restraint reflects Tanavoli’s mature approach—one that favors symbolism and structure over literal narration.

Tanavoli’s deep engagement with Persian folk art is especially evident here. By working within the vocabulary of tribal weaving, he elevates the kilim from functional object to conceptual artwork. The Qashqa’i technique, known for its clarity of form and symbolic economy, aligns naturally with Tanavoli’s interest in cultural memory and visual reduction. The result is a work that feels both ancient and contemporary, rooted in tradition yet unmistakably modern.

Created in 2001, Lion and Sun IV belongs to a period in which Tanavoli increasingly explored national and mythological imagery as a means of reflecting on identity, continuity, and transformation. Rather than preserving symbols unchanged, he reinterprets them—allowing their meanings to evolve while retaining their emotional and historical resonance.

Quietly monumental, Lion and Sun IV stands as a testament to Tanavoli’s ability to bridge folk tradition, modern abstraction, and cultural introspection. It is not merely an image of a symbol, but a meditation on how symbols endure, adapt, and continue to speak across generations.