The country�s most renowned living artist on his famous �heech� works, being summoned by the shah, and the resurgence of Iran�s art scene

In 1971, the then queen of Iran commissioned Parviz Tanavoli, a young artist in his 30s, to make one of his signature bronze sculptures for the palace of the shah. The tall, majestic bronze statuette depicts the word heech, which means �nothing� in Persian. Its message in relation to the shah�s grandiose rule was ambiguous, to say the least.

Tanavoli received a phone call soon after � he was summoned to explain what his work meant and clarify its meaning in writing. The aspiring sculptor, who had studied fine art in Milan on a scholarship from the shah�s government, thought he was in trouble.

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