ArtDayMe : “The Middle East Collection of Raha Gallery”, active for over two decades with a focus on promoting regional art, holds a diverse selection of modernist and contemporary masterpieces by Iranian and Arab artists.

Among these is a striking untitled oil on canvas (184.4 × 124.9 cm), created in 1975 by the Iranian-Armenian artist Sirak Melkonian.

The work was featured at Christie’s Middle East auction in October 2015.

Melkonian’s name shines among the first generation of Iranian modernists, recognized for his distinctive structural-abstractionist perspective. His works exhibit a masterful fusion of form, texture, and conceptual depth.

Though deeply inspired by nature, Melkonian’s approach differs from many of his modernist peers—his depiction of nature is more mystical, intuitive, and internal.

Rather than simply representing nature or relying on color, he seeks a profound and continuous understanding of it. His deliberate use of warm, analogous hues and geometric compositions—derived from nature and emphasized by the powerful presence of line—reveals a precise and thoughtful vision.

At first glance, his paintings may evoke the folds of rolling hills or the veins of rock formations. Yet beyond surface associations, they pursue the formal and geometric essence of existence.

Sirak Melkonian was born in Tehran in 1930. In 1957, he received the Contemporary Iranian Artists Award from the Iran-America Society, and in 1958, he won the Tehran Biennial Award. He later traveled to Italy to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, though he left formal education behind to pursue a more experiential path in art.

His work was featured at the Venice Biennale and later at the Paris Biennale. In the 1970s, he was awarded first prize at the Tehran International Art Exhibition.

His works were also showcased at the third Azad Group Exhibition in 1975, Wash Art 77, and FIAC 77.

In 1981, Melkonian emigrated from Iran to Toronto, Canada. He passed away on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at the age of 93.

The 1975 work housed in the Middle East Collection of Raha Gallery is one of his most iconic pieces—both in scale and in painterly intensity.

Its structure is heavily influenced by geometry and the layering of forms. Stretched surfaces, curves, and intersecting fractured lines evoke architectural structures or geological strata.

Earthy tones—brown, beige, and black—dominate the palette, while pure colors are almost entirely absent, giving the painting a quiet visual presence and contemplative quality.

The painting reflects a tension between fragmentation and unity: forms appear broken, yet they ultimately coalesce into a harmonious whole. This visual tension mirrors the lived experience of modern humanity—fractured in form, yet seeking meaning and cohesion.

This piece stems from a period in Melkonian’s life marked by travel and transformation. In the early 1970s, he visited "Sistan" and other southern Iranian cities—trips that became pivotal in shaping his work.

Within this body of work, one can clearly observe simplified landscapes of desert, mountains, and faded hills—reminiscent of Sistan, Chabahar, Jask, and other regions of southern Iran. These elements are often accompanied by patterns inspired by traditional Iranian pottery and textiles, which appear prominently in his compositions.

Over time, Melkonian’s works adopted flattened planes, bordered by clear lines and restricted palettes—a stylistic hallmark that came to define his later oeuvre.

This particular painting is the result of a minimalist yet profound gaze upon nature. By stripping away its complexities and visual chaos, he arrives at an essence that resembles skeletal structure.

In this work, Melkonian masterfully employs the unique qualities of oil paint to create multi-layered, textured surfaces. His brushstrokes are deliberate, bold, and controlled.

Strong contrasts between light and dark, between sharp white lines and dense dark fields, generate a spatial depth that draws the viewer inward.

This is not a painting one merely observes—it is one that can be felt. Its texture serves the narrative; its form, inseparable from its meaning.

Rooted in tradition yet unbound by the past, the work revisits cultural heritage, using indigenous formal languages and redefining them within a modern, global context.

Indeed, this piece is part of a broader artistic movement of the 1970s in Iran—a wave that drew inspiration from traditional architecture, calligraphy, and ritualistic art to forge a distinctly modern Iranian aesthetic.

Sirak Melkonian’s 1975 painting is not just a visual abstraction; it is a mental and emotional reflection of time, memory, and terrain. A synthesis of silence in color, weight in form, and spatial intensity, it stands as a point of reflection—both architectural and poetic, both philosophical and deeply human.

This significant work belongs to the Middle East Collection of Raha Gallery.