Kamrooz Aram

We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Kamrooz Aram's Nocturne 3 (Departing Nocturne), 2019 by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Kamrooz Aram's recent paintings, sculptural works, and collages highlight the complex position of ornament throughout the history of modern art. Aram’s works challenge conventional art historical hierarchies that have placed fine art and the decorative arts in separate categories of value. Utilizing patterns lifted from Persian carpets through gestural abstraction, he allows color field painting to become backdrops for ceramics, and employs wall painting with reference to encyclopedic museums, where viewers typical engage the decorative arts.

Kamrooz Aram (born 1978, Shiraz, Iran) received his BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2001 and MFA from Columbia University in 2003. Recent solo exhibitions include: An Object, A Gesture, A Décor, FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY, USA (2018); FOCUS: Kamrooz Aram, The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Dallas, TX, USA (2018) and Ancient Blue Ornament, Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA, USA (2018). Aram was selected as a winner of the Abraaj Group Art Prize 2014 and was recently nominated for the Jameel Prize 2018.

His work can be found in the collections of The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; M+ Museum, Hong Kong; Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio; The FLAG Foundation, New York, Jameel Arts Collection, Dubai and Deutsche Bank Collection among others.

Established in 1871, The Art Gallery of New South Wales is the leading museum of art in New South Wales and Sydney, and one of Australia's foremost cultural institutions. It holds significant collections of Australian, European and Asian art, and presents nearly 40 exhibitions annually.