Reza Derakshani is a most worthy choice for our second exhibition of Iranian art at the gallery. He follows our well received show in June 2009 which brought the works of Sadegh Tirafkan, Behrouz Rae and Morteza Darehbaghi to London for the first time. At the gallery we have always shown a great interest in art from those countries where there is a vibrant art scene that is perhaps under-represented in London. We pioneered the showing of Indian contemporary art some years ago and are now embarking on an ambitious programme to show the best Iranian artists. In spite of the upheavals in that country there is no doubting the unique strength and importance of the art that is being made in Iran, steeped in history and tradition yet entirely relevant to today's world. These artists are free spirits, they deserve to be heard and their work deserves to be seen. Derakshani is an exceptional talent who made waves early on both in Iran and during a long period in USA. Returning to Iran in 2003 he is now recognised as one of the country's leading painters, as well as a noted composer, singer and instrumentalist.