This publication, penned in the late 1930s, explores a grim fascination with death and for the most part was banned in Iran. It was this polemic around the book that aroused curiosity in Pouran's youth, and has been a source of inspiration for her work. "I write only for my shadow which is cast on the wall in front of the light. I must introduce myself to it"—Pouran uses Hedayat's quote as a point of departure for exploring various media such as intricate drawings on paper and paintings, as well as sculptures in copper and plexiglass, to deliver her experience of the confessional narrative.
Pouran interprets the Iranian tradition of calligraphy and Islamic geometry through the lens of contemporary aesthetics and focuses on the weight of letters, phrases and quotes to convey her own narrative. As with previous works where she drew inspiration from seminal text works like the Quran and the Cyrus Cylinder (ancient Persian text based artifact), The Blind Owl is an example of how Pouran uses literature to inform her practice.
About Pouran Jinchi
Pouran Jinchi is an Iranian-born, New York-based artist whose works are represented in prominent institutional collections such as The Metropolitan Museum, New York; The Museum of Fine Arts Houston; Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, NY; Brooklyn Museum; Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; and Federal Reserve Bank, NY; and most recently the Pratt Institute in New York. She's held several solo exhibitions in New York, Dubai, Japan and others. Her work has also been included in group exhibitions in prominent venues such as Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2013); Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (2012); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2010); and the Brooklyn Museum (2009).