JAZEH TABATABAI (Tehran, 1931 - 2008). Untitled. Oil on canvas. Signed in the lower right corner. Provenance: Saira Gallery (Vigo). Collection of the director of the Oceanographic Museum of Vigo, Aída Fernández. Measurements: 81 x 130 cm; 97,5 x 147 cm (frame). A painter and sculptor trained at the School of Dramatic Art and the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran, Tabatabai became one of the most important artists in avant-garde Iranian art. He worked in painting, poetry and sculpture, always creating works that challenged the traditional conception of art. Tabatabai, a recipient of several awards, founded the Iran Modern Art Gallery, which brought him international recognition and led him to exhibit in many countries, including Germany, Sweden, India, China, Monaco and Spain. His style is characterised by innovation both in its conception and in the materials used (nuts, springs and screws), which the artist combined in different ways in his imagination, resulting in unique and unmistakable works. His paintings are characterised by depicting characters with orientalising features, such as round-faced women with slanted eyes or even animals with the face of a woman. Many of his works are accompanied by the figure of the sun, an indispensable element in Persian culture. Jazeh Tabatabai spent his last years in the city of Vigo, where he produced works such as the one shown here. His relationship with Spain led him to paint a series of Meninas, as well as other bulls and bullfighters. His works have been exhibited in temporary exhibitions at the Tehran Biennial in its I, II, III, IV and V editions, as well as at the Paris, Sao Paulo and Venice Biennials. Some of his works are in private collections and in museums around the world, including the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a large part of his collection is currently housed in the Museum of Modern Art in Tehran.