Travel Book United Arab Emirates - RRH

Children of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the internationally acclaimed artists Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian grew up in Tehran during their country’s war with Iraq. “We experienced the war through children’s eyes,” they recount. “We bonded through laughter and over games and meals, despite our apprehension. Our experience of that time is deeply rooted in us and introduced us to the power of the collective.” After university studies, supplemented by clandestine tutoring sessions in art, philosophy and creative writing, the three set up an alternative work and living space in Tehran, open to artists of all disciplines. In 2009 they emigrated to the United Arab Emirates, where they share a home and studio in Dubai. “We felt misunderstood and were living in exile in our own country,” they say. “In contrast, the UAE is a visionary nation, offering a vast playing field for artistic experimentation.” In this volume of the Louis Vuitton Travel Book collection, the artists offer an engaging composite portrait of their adopted country. Their strikingly imaginative illustrations are characterised by a keen sense of detail and—very importantly—tinged with humour, the ultimate instrument of freedom. Since the Travel Book collection was created in 2010, it has invited artists from across the globe to explore places—a world centre, a countryside, a wilderness—they have never experienced. By entering unknown territory, they discover a new culture, different architecture, varied ways of life. The Travel Book collection is a mirror of contemporary creation, reflecting the depth, breadth and diversity of the planet’s many aesthetic and artistic worlds. Each artist is free to choose their expressive technique—drawing, painting, collage, illustration, manga, scratch card—and their favourite material: pastel, oil, watercolour, ink, pencil…