Lot 34: REZA LAVASSANI

REZA LAVASSANI B. 1962 THE TREE OF LIFE (FROM THE WATER, WIND, EARTH, FIRE SERIES) signed and dated 09 oil on canvas 142.5 by 249.5cm.; 56 1/4 by 98 1/4 in.

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

This gorgeous example of Reza Lavassani's opulent and stylised paintings draws on a theological symbol present in almost all the world religions. The symbol of the World Tree, or the Tree of Life encapsulates perfectly the artist's philosophical and spiritual beliefs.

Both a painter and a sculptor, Reza Lavassani is an artist-philosopher whose paintings are concerned with the search for perfect harmony. He has studied philosophy and mysticism in particular, and has been engaged with finding meaning in mythological symbols, investigating the principles of sociology, religion and history as well as other intellectual disciplines; producing paintings that fuse his intellectual pursuits with ancient symbolism.

The Tree of Life is a symbol that recurs throughout the Islamic world's visual canon. Repeated in architecture and in miniature painting, the Tree is an ancient cosmological symbol, emblematic of the divine unity that underlies the multiplicity of created things. In addition it is featured in other iconographies, from the Ancient Greek to the Norse and the Chinese, each instilled with its own mythology.

Essentially the Tree of Life connects all of nature, and all that is living. It is an alluring concept that reflects perfectly the artist's belief system. A symbol for peace and unity painted in gold and purple, this is a meditative painting with huge impact.