Symbols, Visual Codes in Jafar Rouhbakhsh’s Artworks

Date: 06 April 2025 - 22:06

News ID: ۱۳۸۱۸۲

TEHRAN -- The Middle East Raha Gallery Collection which has been actively promoting regional art for over two decades, houses a wide array of modernist and contemporary masterpieces by Iranian and Arab artists.
Among these works is a renowned untitled piece by Jafar Rouhbakhsh. Created in 1994, two years before his death, this artwork measures 90×90 cm and was executed in oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, Iran Art wrote.
This signature work, which debuted at the first Tehran Auction in June 2012 and was sold for twice its base price, features the artist’s signature “Rouhbakhsh 94” on the lower right.
Born 1938 in Mashhad, Rouhbakhsh is considered one of the most prominent painters of the Saqqakhaneh School in contemporary Iranian art. He initially explored miniature painting, studying under Hussein Behzad, one of Iran’s most notable miniature artists, which imbued his works with the essence of authentic Iranian art.
In the early 1970s, Rouhbakhsh spent three years in France, enhancing his experience in decorative arts. Interestingly, he resided near Nice at the invitation of a French collector, in a location that was also home to celebrated artists such as Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, and Georges Braque. This period allowed him to blend modernist elements with Iranian aesthetics, creating a distinct signature style.
After the Islamic Revolution, Rouhbakhsh returned to Iran and settled in the country’s north, which inspired the emergence of natural elements in his paintings.
He once remarked about his art: “Some viewers of my works say: your paintings offer a sense of tranquility; in the current era, where mechanization and other modern phenomena prevail, one can feel a kind of hopefulness and dynamism in these artworks. Achieving a form of beauty, successful in both technique and alignment with stylistic evolution, and capable of captivating today’s audience, can indeed be the objective of artistic creation.”
This particular piece by Rouhbakhsh, featuring squares layered with graphic symbols resembling inscriptions, astrological symbols, and scripts, showcases his artistic prowess. The rich textures, layered colors, and fusion of graphic elements with colorful planes reflect both traditional influences and modernist tendencies. The use of gold leaf enhances the artwork with an aged and timeless quality, while the golden tones evoke themes central to Islamic art.
The composition, rooted in squares within squares, alludes to geometric concepts in Iranian and Islamic art. The centrality of a square within another square metaphorically represents the core of truth and identity. The abundance of symbolic and abstract imagery renders the piece open to interpretation. The dominant colors—shades of red, orange, and brown—recall the earth and warmth, as well as energy and movement. Contrasting colors like silver or white at the center symbolize a focal point, an elevated goal, or spiritual concentration. This masterfully chosen palette also conveys a sense of antiquity and historical depth.
Rouhbakhsh’s works are generally rich in symbols and visual codes. In this artwork, the interplay of geometric shapes and pseudo-inscriptional signs may hint at collective memories, historical documents, or even forgotten maps of Iranian culture and civilization. The central square might symbolize an “ontological core” or represent abstract concepts such as home, land, or the nucleus of thought.
By integrating traditional and modern motifs, Rouhbakhsh creates a unique visual language that invites contemplation on themes of time, history, and the visual identity of Iran. His interplay of geometry, texture, and colors establishes a dialogue between the past and present, a hallmark of his art. Simultaneously, a casual viewer unfamiliar with these elements might simply perceive it as an ancient Persian rug design, exuding authenticity and tranquility. This artwork belongs to the Raha Gallery collection.