Afshin Pirhashemi is the only artist from the Middle East taking part at Phillips auction

TEHRAN (IRANART) – Iranian artist Afshin Pirhashemi is the only artist from the Middle East taking part at this year’s Phillips auctions in London.

He created his painting back in 2007 which is now worth between 15,000 to 20,000 British pounds. He is competing at the British auction house with A-list artists like Andy Warhol, Damien Hurst, Victor Vasarely, Diego Giacometti, Franz Kline, Lucy Smith and Sidney Sherman, among others.

Born in 1974, Afshin Pirhadi has won numerous prestigious awards in Iranian and international biennials like Tehran and Beijing (2004). Still in his 30s, he has sold big at international auction houses like the Christie’s, notching around half a million dollars and bringing pride and prestige to Iranian art.

Two years ago, The Huffington Post wrote, “Afshin Pirhashemi examines the complexities of life in modern day Iran through photorealist portraits. Particularly, Pirhashemi is fascinated by the role of women in contemporary Iranian society and their relationships to the world around them and explores manifestations of power as they appear or are negotiated through gendered bodies and spaces.”

Pirhashemi is on the top 500 international artists list, considered as an inspiration for his generation in the Middle East, fostering new forms of expression and providing genuine experiences with contemporary art. He has been mentioned three times by international institutes like Art Prize.

Pirhashemi is yet to hold any solo exhibition in Tehran. His works, however, have been put on display by art collectors at group shows. He has signed a cooperation contract with the Ayyam Gallery which was founded in 2006 to promote Middle Eastern art. The gallery exhibited Pirhashemi’s art in London (2014), and in Dubai (2013-2017).

London’s June post-war and contemporary auctions will come to a close later this week, and the results indicate the market is on a solid, steady upward trajectory. Phillips was founded in 1796 by Harry Phillips. The business held twelve auctions in its first year and soon became successful. The company opened its European headquarters in Howick Place, London, in early 2008.