Bahman Mohassess's Nude Faun Sculpture Appears At Frieze Masters

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A sculpture by Iranian artist Bahman Mohassess, not publicly displayed since the 1980s, is currently on view at Ab-Anbar Gallery's stand at Frieze Masters. The work, titled Faun Musician, was originally commissioned in 1971 by Iranian queen Farah Pahlavi.

The commission intended for the sculpture to be one of two public artworks situated in the plaza of Tehran's then-newly constructed City Theatre. Mohassess, who studied in Italy and was profoundly influenced by Greek mythology, created a nude faun playing a flute, notable for its attenuated limbs and an“energised male member.”

The sculpture's nudity was considered provocative even for the liberal Tehran of the era, as Mohassess recounted in the 2013 documentary Fifi Howls From Happiness. Initially, a muslin cloth covered the controversial section, but it reportedly blew away after a few months. Salman Matinfar, director of Ab-Anbar gallery, which relocated from Tehran to London in 2020, noted that the sculpture became a meeting point for couples.“His view was, what else would you want to be known for?” Matinfar added.

However, the religious government that came to power with the 1979 Islamic Revolution was less accepting. Faun Musician was removed, and its location remained unknown for two decades. A photograph of the sculpture, in pieces, surfaced in the basement of the Tehran Contemporary Art Museum in the late 2000s. It has not been exhibited publicly since then.

The version of the sculpture at the Ab-Anbar stand is not for sale. Mohassess produced three versions of Faun Musician: the original public artwork in Iran; a miniature cast now in a private collection; and this third version, created in 1973, which measures 1.2m in height and comes from a private Italian collection. This marks its first public appearance in London since 1980.

“Mohassess was so different to other artists,” Matinfar stated.“The art movements of the time wanted to modernise Iranian elements. But we didn't have many figurative artists in the 1960s in Iran, who were concerned with the human condition.”

Mohassess is featured in the Queering Modernism section at Frieze Masters, a curated strand organized by Anke Kempkes that explores the often overlooked history of queer artists. While Mohassess is primarily recognized for his large-scale canvases, frequently depicting male figures reclining together and considered unconventional for their time, his collages are also impactful and often more explicit than his paintings.

Frieze Masters runs at Regent's Park, London, through October 18.

We previously reported:

Frieze Sculpture 2026, curated by Fatoş Üstek, presents 11 international artists exploring themes of mythology, science, and popular culture in Regent's Park,

Source: The Art Newspaper

MENAFN16102026005694012507ID1111818649