Lahore Biennale, 2018
Through the application of traditional aesthetics, Pouyan’s updated miniatures interrogate enduring notions of fate and destiny by superimposing the past upon the present. In Islamic and Sufi symbology, the ship represents destiny and the adventure of life. Water, a sacred element, represents clarity and purification.In the Persian miniature tradition, water is always rendered in silver paint. However, the fate of silver is to oxidize into darkness. In these miniatures, Pouyan renders the original miniature in its current, degraded condition while removing all human figures, creating an eerie, post-apocalyptic scene. The abandoned ships appear lost and adrift on a dark sea, echoing familiar contemporary images of refugee lifeboats and black oil slicks. These paintings register the passage of time, and invite a new metaphorical reading that suggests the uncertainty and fear of the impending future.