Pouran Jinchi is an Iranian-born, New York artist who borrows from her home culture's traditions of literature and calligraphy to pursue her own aesthetic investigations. Early Poetry paintings are both abstract and literal presentations of poems. Texts are morphed beyond recognition into flowing, anthropomorphic shapes. Having been trained in calligraphy, she finds the relation between words and forms, natural or non-objective, deeply intertwined. In Jinchi’s recent work, viewers will appreciate her increasingly detailed focus on the form of language as subject matter.
Pouran Jinchi's recent exhibitions include a two-person show at Frieze Art Fair, London (2011) and solo exhibitions at the Third Line, Dubai (2010), Vilcek Foundation, New York (2008), and Art Projects International, New York (2008). Her work has also been exhibited at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Brooklyn Museum and the Queens Museum of Art. Her work is represented in major collections including the Museum of Fine Arts Houston; Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, NY; Farjam Collection, Dubai; Brooklyn Museum, NY; Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC; Federal Reserve Bank, NY; and several major corporate collections.
Her new work, Prayer Stones, will be shown in Phantoms of Asia, a large survey of contemporary art guest curated by Mami Kataoka (Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo), opening at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco in May 2012.
© Art Projects International
For the full Artist Biography, download the PDF below.
POURAN JINCHI
- Born in Mashad, Iran
Lives and works in New York City
EDUCATION
Studio Painting, The Art Students League of New York, New York, NY
Sculpture and Painting, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Pouran Jinchi: Dawn, Noon and Night, Art Projects International, New York, NY (opening March 2012)
Entropy, Leila Heller Gallery, New York, NY
Ritual Imprint, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
Pouran Jinchi, The Vilcek Foundation, New York, NY
Pouran Jinchi: A Survey, Art Projects International, New York, NY
Pouran Jinchi: Fabricated, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
Recitation, M.Y. Art Prospects, New York, NY
Alef, M.Y. Art Prospects, New York, NY
Derakht, 511 Gallery, New York, NY
Entangled Thoughts, Macy Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY
Antworks, M.Y. Art Prospects, New York, NY
Shibata Etsuko Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Ruba’iyat Series, M.Y. Art Prospects, New York, NY
Pouran Jinchi: Recent Paintings, Art Projects International, New York, NY
Nikolai Fine Arts, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Phantoms of Asia: Contemporary Awakens the Past, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Two Person Show, Frieze Art Fair, London, England
The Bravery of Being out of Range, Athr Gallery, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Third Eye / I: Iranian Contemporary Art, Other Gallery, Shanghai, China
Tarjama/Translation, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX
Iran Inside Out, Chelsea Museum of Art, New York, NY
Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam, curated by Ladan Akbarnia, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn NY
Tarjama/Translation, curated by Leeza Ahmady and Iftikhar Dadi, Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY
Selseleh/Zelzeleh: Movers & Shakers in Contemporary Iranian Art, LTMH, New York, NY
Unknown Territory - New Work: IL Lee · Pouran Jinchi · Filipe Rocha da Silva, Art Projects International, New York, NY
East West Dialogues, Mysticism, Satire and the Legendary Past, curated by Layla Diba, LTMH, New York, NY
Artparis, The Third Line, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Contemporary Calligraphics: Three Artists Image the Word, Binghamton University Art Museum, Binghamton, NY
Gulf Art Fair, The Third Line, Dubai, UAE
Cultural Village, Flashback/Forward, Dubai Properties, Dubai, UAE
Routes of Influence: International Artists from Asia, Art Projects International, New York, NY
Poetry of the Winds, 2002 Flag Art Festival, 2002 FIFA World Cup, Seoul/Japan.
The Rose and the Nightingale, Macy Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY
Visions of the Millennium, Greenwich Arts Center, Greenwich, CT
United Nations Millennium Day, Benefit Exhibition, The United Nations, New York, NY
The Cambodia Trust, Benefit Exhibition, The New York Academy of Science, New York, NY
The Learning Project, Benefit Exhibition, The Craft Museum, New York, NY
Artists for Gardens, Benefit Exhibition, The Puck Building, New York, NY
Two Person Show, Gallery Stendhal, New York, NY
Two Person Show, Gallerie Ott, Dusseldorf, Germany
Annual Contemporary Art Exhibition, curated by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, New York, NY
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Modrak, Fiona. “Johnson Offers Glimpse of New Wing.” The Cornell Daily Sun (Ithica, NY), October 2, 2011.
- Koh, Daveen. “A Divine Diversion.” The Cornell Daily Sun (Ithica, NY), September 28, 2011
- Brown, Amelia. “Communicating Translation: Tarjama/Translation at the Johnson Museum.” The Cornell Daily Sun (Ithica, NY), August 31, 2010.
- Akbarnia, Ladan, with Francesca Leoni. Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam. Exhibition catalogue, reproductions. Foreword by Peter C. Marzio. Houston: Museum of Fine Arts, 2010.
- Hussain, Raziqueh. “Call of Prayer.” Khaleej Times (Dubai), February 19, 2010. Review, reproductions.
- Haroon, Layla. “Enriched by Tradition.” Gulf News (Dubai), February 5, 2010. Review, reproduction.
- Hussain, Raziqueh. “Directing Iranian Art.” Khaleej Times (Dubai), January 1, 2010.
- Eigner, Saeb. Art of the Middle East: Modern and Contemporary Art of the Arab World and Iran. Reproduction. Foreword by Zaha Hadid. London: Merrell Publishers, 2010.
- Akbarnia, Ladan. “Profile: Pouran Jinchi.” Canvas (Dubai), vol. 5, issue 5, 2009. Reproductions.
- Cotter, Holland. “Tarjama/Translation.” The New York Times, Art in Review, August 13, 2009.
- “Museums: The Actually Cool Guide, Queens Museum of Art.” Time Out New York, July 30, 2009.
- Cotter, Holland. “Iran Inside Out.” The New York Times, Art in Review, July 23, 2009.
- Cotter, Holland. “The Many Voices of Enlightenment.” The New York Times, Art Review, June 12, 2009.
- Galligan, Gregory. “Pouran Jinchi at Art Projects International.” Art Asia Pacific (New York), issue 62, 2009. Review, reproduction.
- Attwood, Karen. “Royal Taste in Art Put on Display.” The National (UAE), November 16, 2008.
- Curtil, Sophie and Miloš Cvach. l’Art par 1001 mains. Reproduction. France: Éditions Milan, 2008.
- Baysa, Kóan Jeff. “Lost in Transliteration.” Ctrl+P Journal of Contemporary Art (Manila), issue 10, March 2008. Reproduction.
- “Countries: United Arab Emirates.” Art Asia Pacific Almanac 2008 (New York), vol. 3, 2008. Reproduction.
- “Art & Culture.” Time Out Dubai, January 17–24, 2008. Reproductions.
- Wilson-Goldie, Kaelen. “Desert Oasis—or Mirage?” Art + Auction (New York), October 2007. Reproduction.
- “Under the Hammer.” CNN Traveller (London), Inside the Middle East, March 2007. Reproduction.
- Ekhtiar, Maryam. “Practice Makes Perfect: The Art Of Calligraphy Exercises (Siyah Mashq) In Iran.” Eastern Art Report (London), 2006.
- Goodman, Jonathan. “Pouran Jinchi at M. Y. Prospects.” Art in America (New York), October 2002. Review, reproduction.
- Goodman, Jonathan. “Pouran Jinchi.” Art Asia Pacific (New York), issue 32, 2001. Review, reproductions.
- Cotter, Holland. “More Abstraction.” The New York Times, Fine Arts & Leisure, January 21, 2000.
- Zimmer, William. “What 72 Artists Figured Out About Boxes Measuring 1 by 1 by 1.” The New York Times (Connecticut Edition), January 2, 2000.
- “Short List.” The New Yorker, December 27, 1999.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
- Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithica, NY
- Farjam Collection, Dubai, UAE
- Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC
- Federal Reserve Bank, New York, NY
- Sprint Corporation, Kansas City, MO
