Hamid S. Neiriz

In his early paintings, Hamid S. Neiriz shows an affinity to mainly figurative-surrealistic tendencies and the abstract gestural painting techniques in proximity to Informal Art, Tachism or Abstract Expressionism. These works are regarded as a further development of Abstract Art, originating in the 19th century, but are perceived as autonomous movements only at the beginning of Modernism in the 20th century.

Neiriz’ comprehensive study of world art, his Iranian background, his knowledge of history and religion, and his domicile in the west-east oriented cultural metropolis of Berlin, flow into his work. Three groups determine Neiriz’ oeuvre, differentiated by his series “Excavations”, “Fragments” and “Masks”, which stand for the archaic ethnoreligious elements of his art. These series cannot be separated, forming leitmotifs that are closely related. The reappearing title “Mask” underlines the importance of the mask for Neiriz, especially those of African Tribal Art. With his work cycles, Neiriz takes up the sensual and spiritual experiences in dealing with ancient art and translates them into his artistic forms of expression.

The series “Excavations” refers to archaeological field research, but can also be understood as a metaphor that touches on essential aspects of Informal Art. In the first step, painting usually means attaching painting material onto canvas. However, during the artistic process, the opposite can also come to fruition: colour is taken away again and scraped off to expose underlying layers, a process comparable to excavation. At the same time, the free use of colour and form is fed from the individual and the subconscious and means searching for buried, sunken down and deposited in the inner self. The hidden treasure trove of images, ideas and fantasies, which only comes to light through artistic practice, takes the place of real excavation sites of ancient cultures. And much that slumbers under the earth or in the water now discloses its original shape and function, likewise, inner memories arise from the inside of a person, subjected to metamorphoses by psychic processes, not always readily giving away their origin and meaning; a mystery remains.