NEXUS: Paintings by Karl Momen

“In these images Momen gives the beholder theatre directions to the paintings. He offers a stage to enter, where our existence is at stake, we are allowed to move around in his labyrinths with our questions. Whether answers are given is far from certain, but as long as we question we are alive.”

– Olle Granath, Former General Director of the Swedish National Art Museums

“Simply some of the finest abstract creations of any artist working today.”

– Marion Meyer, owner, Marion Meyer Contemporary Art

Partially sponsored by the Swedish government, NEXUS showcased 50 paintings by Karl Momen from the late 1950s to the present day. The core of this exhibition was his austere, evocative interpretations of plays by William Shakespeare and operas by Richard Wagner.

Born and brought up in Mashhad in northeast Iran, Momen was exposed at an early age to Persian miniatures and to the bold colors and dramatic patterns of Persian carpets, which his father produced and designed. These influences coalesce in his mature work—including the NEXUS paintings—in its stylized organic forms, textures, and kaleidoscopic palette, which create a tension with the cool formalism of geometric abstraction.

Momen studied architecture in Germany with Le Corbusier and painting under the surrealist Max Ernst. His abstract work suggests a conjunction of Modernist concerns and Persian spirituality, and draws from his studies of astronomy, mathematics, mythology, architecture, literature, and music. Critics have noted the influence of Anton Pevsner and Kasimir Malevich in Momen’s advocacy of purism found in smooth functional form. His works are exhibited widely at various museums and are in many public and private collections in Europe, the U.S., and Japan.

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