Sasan Abri born in Tehran in 1984, Sasan Abri is an Iranian photographer and video artist currently based in Tehran. He graduated from Mah-e-Mehr Institute in Tehran in 2005, and continued his studies with some of the master photographers and lectur…

Sasan Abri
born in Tehran in 1984, Sasan Abri is an Iranian photographer and video artist currently based in Tehran. He graduated from Mah-e-Mehr Institute in Tehran in 2005, and continued his studies with some of the master photographers and lecturers such as Bahman Jalali, Hamid Severi and Meh-ran Mohajer. In 2008, his work was chosen for Iran’s 11th Bi-ennial of Photography . Since then his work has been exhibited in a number of group exhibitions as well as three solo exhibitions in Iran and inter-nationally. Sasan Abri began his career as a self-taught photographer but later developed his talent and passion under the guidance of recognized Irani-an photographers. Sasan has mastered unusu-al cameras such as the pinhole camera and the Polaroid. He especially enjoys working with the Polaroid camera through which he manipulates the final result, both during the process and later at the development phase by experimenting with various chemicals to achieve the desired effect.

Mojtaba Amini, born in 1979, is a radical neo-conceptual artist. Fully engaged with the society, political and social issues are never far from his mind. Children’s Program is about children less than 18 years old who have committed murder. As per t…

Mojtaba Amini,
born in 1979, is a radical neo-conceptual artist. Fully engaged with the society, political and social issues are never far from his mind. Children’s Program is about children less than 18 years old who have committed murder. As per the laws of the Islamic Republic, once given an execution verdict, they remain in jail until they come of age and the sentence is then carried out. In Iran, there is a tradition of putting up richly adorned canopies that are meant to resemble the “Bridal Chamber” for the young deceased. A metaphor for an unfulfilled life. In 1997, Iran joined the International Convention for Protection of Children, which does not allow passing of the execution verdict or life imprisonment for children less than 18 years of age. Right now in Iran more than 200 children are waiting for their execution and many have already been executed.

Bahar Behbahani Multidisciplinary artist, Bahar Behbahani’s work addresses her long-term conceptual dialogue with memory and loss, representing her chronic displacement and longing. Through her lyrical videos Behbahani stages a contemporary cultural…

Bahar Behbahani
Multidisciplinary artist, Bahar Behbahani’s work addresses her long-term conceptual dialogue with memory and loss, representing her chronic displacement and longing. Through her lyrical videos Behbahani stages a contemporary cultural critique by layering and juxtaposing allusions to past and present sociopolitical circumstances with a language that she draws from her experience as a painter. Her work has been featured in the 18th Biennale of Sydney, Australia; Sharjah Biennial 10, UAE; Queens Museum, New York; The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan; MACRO, Museum of Contemporary Art, Italy; Mimara Museum, Croatia; The Tribeca Film Festival, New York; as well as the Asia Art Biennial, Bangladesh, among others.

Mohsen Ahmadvand doesn’t explain what he sees because the political and social content today in Iran is way past explaining. He simply decorates what has already been explained. Though the images might invoke criticism rising from the cliché loving …

Mohsen Ahmadvand
doesn’t explain what he sees because the political and social content today in Iran is way past explaining. He simply decorates what has already been explained.
Though the images might invoke criticism rising from the cliché loving mind that intensifies them with nostalgia, his work turns memory worshipping to chocking with tears, but this time the sound of a far cry time making fun of all traditional tunes. A tune in which the notes are history, society, and it’s euphoric song forgetfulness.

Reza Azimian was born in Hamedan in 1977, where he still lives and works. He studied Sociology, but as a self-taught painter, he soon realized that his main interest and focus would be painting. Strongly influenced by the effects of modern communica…

Reza Azimian
was born in Hamedan in 1977, where he still lives and works. He studied Sociology, but as a self-taught painter, he soon realized that his main interest and focus would be painting. Strongly influenced by the effects of modern communication tools on social behavior and the environment, his work depicts various characters and locations, while focusing on his personal interest in the negative psychological effects of modern interactions. Reza’s paintings explore our changing culture and the parallel effects these changes have on our identities and social conduct.

Babak Bidarian, was born in Hamedan, Iran in 1979, the year of the Iranian Revolution. He studied art at the University of Hamedan and graduated with a BA in 2001. He started his career teaching and only began to paint as an artist in 2007. He first…

Babak Bidarian,
was born in Hamedan, Iran in 1979, the year of the Iranian Revolution. He studied art at the University of Hamedan and graduated with a BA in 2001. He started his career teaching and only began to paint as an artist in 2007. He first exhibited in his hometown where he was discovered by Shirin Jelveh—an art consultant who brought his art to the attention of galleries and collectors in Tehran. Bidarian has had several solo and group exhibitions in Iran, and his painting recently sold at Bonhams London. Portraits of ordinary people are his primary subject matter. Throughout these portraits, he exquisitely captures their expressions and moods with the use of light.

Samira Alikhanzadeh Born in Iran in 1967, Samira Alikhanzadeh studied first at the Alzahra University, and then took a Master of Fine Arts at Azad University, Tehran, which she completed in 1998. Today she exhibits regularly in Tehran, and has taken…

Samira Alikhanzadeh
Born in Iran in 1967, Samira Alikhanzadeh studied first at the Alzahra University, and then took a Master of Fine Arts at Azad University, Tehran, which she completed in 1998. Today she exhibits regularly in Tehran, and has taken part in group exhibitions internationally.

Nasser Bakhshi, a self taught painter born in Tabriz in 1982, paints people who have turned their back to the audience. This series of work was done during some of the darkest years of the Islamic Republic, the years of Ahmadijnejad’s presidency. At…

Nasser Bakhshi,
a self taught painter born in Tabriz in 1982, paints people who have turned their back to the audience. This series of work was done during some of the darkest years of the Islamic Republic, the years of Ahmadijnejad’s presidency. At first glance the series might not reveal its political nature but once seen as a group the concept of “protest” becomes clear. These works are excellent examples of hyperrealistic paintings, and show both the extraordinary skill of the artist as well as his probing mind. He joins scores of other young artists who are registering the truth, their presence is denial of the darkness.

Majid Biglari born in 1986, is among the first graduates of Sculpting from Tehran University of Art. Sculpting had been eradicated from Iranian University curriculums from 1980 to 1999 and was once again included, but the prevailing teaching methods…

Majid Biglari
born in 1986, is among the first graduates of Sculpting from Tehran University of Art. Sculpting had been eradicated from Iranian University curriculums from 1980 to 1999 and was once again included, but the prevailing teaching methods focused on form and the syllabus concentrated on Modernism. One of Biglari’s first attempts to escape from the established Modernist program of the university was to use the discarded materials found in the campus.

Mimi Amini was born in Esfahan/Iran in 1977. She received her BA from Tehran University in Painting in 2003. Her work has been in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Iran as well as in Europe such as Aaran Gallery in Tehran, Thadd-aeus Ropac gall…

Mimi Amini
was born in Esfahan/Iran in 1977. She received her BA from Tehran University in Painting in 2003. Her work has been in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Iran as well as in Europe such as Aaran Gallery in Tehran, Thadd-aeus Ropac gallery in Paris and Salzburg, Tamen Gallery in Berlin, Verso Gallery in Turino, and Mall Gallery in London. Multi-disciplinary artist from per-sian miniature to abstract paint-ing, sculpture, installation and performance Art. Mimi lives and works in Tehran.

Dadbeh Bassir  was born in Tehran in 1978, just six months before the Islamic Revolution. He studied for a degree in Photography in Tehran, from which he graduated in 2004, and he continues to live and work in Iran. Many of his photographs are autob…

Dadbeh Bassir
was born in Tehran in 1978, just six months before the Islamic Revolution. He studied for a degree in Photography in Tehran, from which he graduated in 2004, and he continues to live and work in Iran. Many of his photographs are autobiographical—’I always see myself as the closest subject,’ says Bassir—dealing in particular with a serious illness that he suffered in 2003. Works such as the haunting After Six Months (2003) catalogue Bassir’s own physical deterioration, and he would later revisit this subject as a sort of exorcism. The result, produced from 2005 to 2006, was the ‘Untitled’ self-portrait series that incorporates x-rays alongside his own photography.

—Hossein Amirsadeghi, Different Sames: New Perspectives in Contemporary Iranian Art

Hossein Edalatkhah An artist’s creative mind can be a prison for inspiration. For Hossein Edalatkhah, its freedom comes from expressing unique thoughts with fierce passion, overflowing from a wild, yet lonely heart. Edalatkhah, as an artist, is impu…

Hossein Edalatkhah
An artist’s creative mind can be a prison for inspiration. For Hossein Edalatkhah, its freedom comes from expressing unique thoughts with fierce passion, overflowing from a wild, yet lonely heart. Edalatkhah, as an artist, is impulsive. He actualizes his ideas with great fire and urgency. Yet, the immediacy in his work is not devoid of cultural symbolic icons from Iran’s past. Iconic elements such as Safavid floral designs, Persian carpets, lions (as a symbol of Iran’s imperial past), as well as images of Mullahs. He also uses tile designs from centuries past. All are incorporated in his works to project a cultural identity.

Sepanta Ghassemkhani  was born in Tehran in 1987. In her widely appreciated piece, Lateral Inversion, she addresses the issue of self, the female body, narcissism, and in general, identity. Particularly that of a young female in Iran. She protests t…

Sepanta Ghassemkhani
was born in Tehran in 1987. In her widely appreciated piece, Lateral Inversion, she addresses the issue of self, the female body, narcissism, and in general, identity. Particularly that of a young female in Iran. She protests to wearing hejab, but in true Persian style embraces the hejab and tries to look her best wearing one. She criticizes the deception and pretensions in society, as well as the ineffective efforts of regime in Uniform-zing the society.

Alex Hernandez is a painter and a multi media artist whose work investigates themes of status, privilege and hierarchical structures within society through images of pristine pools, manicured lawns, sleek homes and country clubs. He is influenced by…

Alex Hernandez
is a painter and a multi media artist whose work investigates themes of status, privilege and hierarchical structures within society through images of pristine pools, manicured lawns, sleek homes and country clubs. He is influenced by a wide range of artists including David Hockney and Richard Diebenkorn. Hernandez’s flattened and simplified images create atmospheres that are dreamlike and often times eerily void of human life. He received his BA from the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro, Havana in 2004 and his MFA from Instituto de Arte, Havana in 2010. Hernandez has participated in many solo and group exhibitions in Havana, the US and Europe and his work was exhibited at Havana's 12th Biennial in 2015.

Mehdi Mirbagheri was born in Tehran in 1980. He studied Graphic Design at Azad University in Tehran where he obtained his BA and MA. Along with Hossein Edalatkhah, he is part of a group of Iranian Pop artists. Known as the Andy Warhol of Iran, Mirba…

Mehdi Mirbagheri
was born in Tehran in 1980. He studied Graphic Design at Azad University in Tehran where he obtained his BA and MA.
Along with Hossein Edalatkhah, he is part of a group of Iranian Pop artists. Known as the Andy Warhol of Iran, Mirbagheri uses portraits of Persian Kings, iconic political figures, and images of the court ladies of the Qajar’s Dynasty as subjects. He produces catchy and colorful images. Mirbagheri has had many solo and group exhibitions. In his latest series, Daddy Long Legs, he uses calligraphic symbols as metaphors of male sexuality, decorating female forms which are long legged and in black stockings. The series depicts a showing of the battle of the sexes.

Amir Mousavi started with paintings and arrived at photography. From the beginning he loved surfaces, and the flattest of surfaces were walls, which for him have a life of their own. As he says it ‘walls are characters of a city.’ Painting on walls …

Amir Mousavi
started with paintings and arrived at photography. From the beginning he loved surfaces, and the flattest of surfaces were walls, which for him have a life of their own. As he says it ‘walls are characters of a city.’ Painting on walls that might not exist in coming years reflect the reality of the strange land he lives in. —Vahid Sharifian

Amirhossein Radaie was born in Hamadan, Iran in 1986. Using certain forms and shapes of the human body, along with various objects, Radaie strives to portray the inner feelings of not only his subjects, but his audiences as well. Even though the out…

Amirhossein Radaie
was born in Hamadan, Iran in 1986. Using certain forms and shapes of the human body, along with various objects, Radaie strives to portray the inner feelings of not only his subjects, but his audiences as well. Even though the outfits which adorn his sculptures belong to the Qajar era, they are ever-relevant, representing the inability of people to determine their destinies, and their lack of rights. These people, according to the artist, can only fulfill their aspirations in the confines of their imagination.

Leslie Sardinias born in 1974, Leslie Sardinias graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Havana (1994), and from Parsons The New School for Design in New York (2000) with a Master’s degree in Design and Animation. After living in Europe fo…

Leslie Sardinias
born in 1974, Leslie Sardinias graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Havana (1994), and from Parsons The New School for Design in New York (2000) with a Master’s degree in Design and Animation. After living in Europe for several years, Sardinias returned to New York, where he continues his investigative work in painting, animation, and design. He has participated extensively in both solo and group exhibitions, among the most notable being the VII Florence Bien-nial in 2001, where he received the Lorenzo de Medici Award. In 2012, Sardinias’ animated video Watching You was displayed on billboards in New York’s Times Square. The artist has been exhibited solo Aguas Malas his project focusing on painting and drawing at the 8TH Floor Museum in New York un 2014 and La Comunidad at El Museo de Arte Colonial in Havana, Cuba, in the occa-sion of the Havana Biennial 2015. His works are part of numerous important collections internationally, including the Spanish Royal Collection, the Alex Rosenberg Private Col-lection, and the collection of the Arte Viva Foundation. His work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana, Cuba; the Angel Museum in Segovia, Spain; the Casa Lamm Collection in Mexico City, Mexico; the Deposito Bagagli Musei Vaticani in Rome, Italy; and the Shelley and Donald Rubin Private Collection.

Mojtaba Ghasemi Shilsar born in1987 Bandar Anzali, Gilan, Iran Education: 2014 BA Graphic Design, Tehran, Iran Solo Exhibition: 2014, 2016 Dastan’s Basement, Tehran, Iran Group Exhibitions: 2015 Gallery 6, Tehran, 2015 Abi Galery, Tehran 2015 Ab Anb…

Mojtaba Ghasemi Shilsar
born in1987 Bandar Anzali, Gilan, Iran Education: 2014 BA Graphic Design, Tehran, Iran
Solo Exhibition: 2014, 2016 Dastan’s Basement, Tehran, Iran Group Exhibitions: 2015 Gallery 6, Tehran, 2015 Abi Galery, Tehran 2015 Ab Anbar, Tehran, 2014 Sam Art, A Project by Dastan Outside the Basement , Tehran 2013 Dastan Basement, Tehran 2013 Pardis Mellat Gallery, Tehran 2011 Aria Art Gallery, Tehran 2010 Elaheh Gallery, Tehran

Kamran TaheriMoghaddam  began studying art in Tehran, obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree from Azad University of Art and Architecture in painting. Kamran continued his studies in Florence, Italy where he obtained a Master’s Degree from Accademia di Bel…

Kamran TaheriMoghaddam
began studying art in Tehran, obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree from Azad University of Art and Architecture in painting. Kamran continued his studies in Florence, Italy where he obtained a Master’s Degree from Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze in Visual Art and Multimedia. His work crosses multiple mediums: Painting, Drawing, Installation and Video. Since moving to the United States in 2008, Kamran has creatively worked as a TV producer, using his artistic training and skills to illustrate social and political stories. His paintings and videos have been exhibited in museums, galleries and art fairs in Iran, Italy, France and USA such as "Drawings in Motion" at Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NY "Invideo" International Exhibition of Video and Cinema Beyond in Milan, Italy - "International Contemporary Art Fair" Mulhous, France - "Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Roma" in Italy and Barg Gallery in Tehran, Iran. He lives and works in New York.

SHIRIN EHYA is an Iranian-American designer who was raised in Iran and the United States, between two countries during their most turbulent period in history. It is no wonder then, that Ehya Has been always interested in creating harmony and balance…

SHIRIN EHYA is an Iranian-American designer who was raised in Iran and the United States, between two countries during their most turbulent period in history. It is no wonder then, that Ehya Has been always interested in creating harmony and balance between two seemingly opposing extremities, both of which define her in equal measure.

The pursuit to combine elements from both cultures, influences her designs on a deep level. On one side she is constantly drawn to the understated simplicity, seen in the clean spare shapes of her designs while on the other side the intricate and poetic Persian elements naturally impact her work. Blending subtly along the lines, the shimmering, intricate mirror works are woven seamlessly into modern frames of glossy lacquered wood in her first collection Isfahan. The delicate lattice patterns she finely works side by side with her mid-century inspired furniture are the basis of her Fantasia Collection making these pieces contemporary with a traditional twist.

Shirin Ehya successfully launched her first collection Isfahan during Design

Days Dubai in 2014, followed by other exciting collections exhibited worldwide.

She has recently started her Interior Design firm while working on a new collection of furniture and accessory. Shirin lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Maryam Javaheri was born in Tehran and received her Fine Arts degree from Tehran University. After some advance study in Europe, she continued her fine arts education at New York University and the Art Students League in New York in the early 1960’s…

Maryam Javaheri was born in Tehran and received her Fine Arts degree from Tehran University. After some advance study in Europe, she continued her fine arts education at New York University and the Art Students League in New York in the early 1960’s.

Independently, she has worked under the tutelage of such prominent American painters as Ad Reinhardt, Adolf Gottlieb, and Will Barnett. She has won several awards, and has had numerous single and group shows in the United States and Iran. She has also participated in a few international exhibitions. Her works include painting, collage, and sculpture-both freestanding and wall hung. The style is non-objective, using strong, simple colors and forms to create the composition. Her work has been reviewed by renowned art historians and journalists.

Safarani SistersTwin sisters Farzaneh and Bahareh Safarani (born in Tehran, Iran; 1990) work together in collaboration to create their striking paintings and videos. The two sisters make dramatic compositions of themselves as the subjects to explore…

Safarani Sisters

Twin sisters Farzaneh and Bahareh Safarani (born in Tehran, Iran; 1990) work together in collaboration to create their striking paintings and videos. The two sisters make dramatic compositions of themselves as the subjects to explore to sense of self in relation to the other. The Safarani sisters choose to incorporate themes and symbols in their work. A major theme that the sisters address is one of identity—as twins, as individuals, and as Iranian women. Furthermore, the sisters usually depict interior scenes that serve as a haven for the women, with the walls and empty spaces acting as a barrier between themselves and the outside world. Common features found in these rooms are mirrors and windows with curtains. The mirrors symbolize how the subjects self-reflect and envision themselves in other worlds or realities,while the half- drawn curtains represent how the women hesitate to make full contact with the outside world. However, any breeze or light that comes through the windows represent the hope that the real world is free, peaceful, and safe, like their walls. With their combination of videos and paintings, and themes of identity and beauty, the Safarani sisters explain that through their art, “we are creating a beautiful moment which remains in the mind of the viewer...this moment is temporary—it comes and goes, just as our lives in this world.”

Ariamna Contino Mendoza (Camino Al Eden) Alex Hernandez received his BA from the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro, Havana in 2004 and his MFA from Instituto de Arte, Havana in 2010. Hernandez has participated in many solo and group ex…

Ariamna Contino Mendoza (Camino Al Eden) Alex Hernandez
received his BA from the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes San Alejandro, Havana in 2004 and his MFA from Instituto de Arte, Havana in 2010. Hernandez has participated in many solo and group exhibitions in Havana, the US and Europe and his work was exhibited at Havana's 12th Biennial in 2015.

Naghmeh Ghassemlou Time and reflection are the two main themes of Naghmeh Ghassemloo photographic images. In her Navab series, Ghassemloo visualizes life and hears voices in old buildings now demolished in the Navab neighborhood of Tehran. The ghost…

Naghmeh Ghassemlou
Time and reflection are the two main themes of Naghmeh Ghassemloo photographic images. In her Navab series, Ghassemloo visualizes life and hears voices in old buildings now demolished in the Navab neighborhood of Tehran. The ghostlike men on staircases remind her of life that once was.
Disillusioned in what is real and what is her imagination, the Navab series is about the destruction of the past and current despair. The artist’s work reflects on a society to which she needs to adjust to, where everything old is to be discarded, without any consideration for it’s value and what it meant to some.
Ghassemlou’s photographs are part of numerous private collections in Iran and abroad, as well as part of the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Aida Izadpanah lives and works in New York City, specializing in large-format mixed media and porcelain painting. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a master’s degree in Urba…

Aida Izadpanah
lives and works in New York City, specializing in large-format mixed media and porcelain painting. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a master’s degree in Urban Planning from Tehran University (Iran). She was a Teaching Assistant in mixed media at The Art Students League of New York (ASL) from 2012-14. Solo exhibitions include Transcendence (New York City, 2015) and Revelation (Los Angeles, 2013).

Ali Kourehchian is an architect and sculptor since 1995. Based on his architecture knowledge, he enjoys working in all types of media to present his concepts in the best way. His first solo exhibition with the context of applied sculpture was held i…

Ali Kourehchian
is an architect and sculptor since 1995. Based on his architecture knowledge, he enjoys working in all types of media to present his concepts in the best way. His first solo exhibition with the context of applied sculpture was held in Barg gallery in 1996. In 1997 he established his architectural firm with following his artistic interest until today. His first exhibition outside Iran was held in Dubai "index" 2000 and after that he received six different awards in six years from "hofex" exhibition regarding the best furniture design, best innovation and creativity in design, and best booth design. Tehran private contemporary art museum (Man e Honar e nou) collected five of his sculptures and furniture pieces.

Frank Mujica Born in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, Frank Mujica received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts in Cuba in 2004 and his Masters of Fine Art from the Superior institute of Art in Havana, Cuba in 2010. Mujica has …

Frank Mujica
Born in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, Frank Mujica received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts in Cuba in 2004 and his Masters of Fine Art from the Superior institute of Art in Havana, Cuba in 2010. Mujica has exhibited at Zona Franca at the 12th Havana Biennial, Cuba and the ZONA MACO Contemporary Art fair in Mexico in 2015 as well as the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba in Havana in 2010. He has been part of many group exhibitions in Cuba, the USA, and Europe.

Reynier Leyva Novo was born in Havana in 1983. He graduated from the José Antonio Díaz Peláez Experimental Art Center in 1998, and the San Alejandro School of Fine Arts in 2003. He attended Instituto Superior de Arte,Havana from 2004-2008. Novo was …

Reynier Leyva Novo
was born in Havana in 1983. He graduated from the José Antonio Díaz Peláez Experimental Art Center in 1998, and the San Alejandro School of Fine Arts in 2003. He attended Instituto Superior de Arte,Havana from 2004-2008. Novo was the Chair of Behavior Art directed by Tania Bruguera in 2007. He has exhibited both in Cuba and abroad in Liverpool,Vienna,Portugal,Spain and the US. Reynier Leyva Novo was the only Latin American artist chosen to exhibit at the Latin American Pavillion of the prestigious 54 th Venice Biennial. He lives and works in Havana.

Leyli Rashidi was born in Tehran in 1986. She received her BA in Visual Arts from the Shahed Art University in Tehran in 2010. She is the recipient of many awards including the London’s Young Artists competition in 2009. She has participated in many…

Leyli Rashidi
was born in Tehran in 1986. She received her BA in Visual Arts from the Shahed Art University in Tehran in 2010. She is the recipient of many awards including the London’s Young Artists competition in 2009. She has participated in many group exhibits in Tehran from 2009 to 2014, as well as the Abu Dhabi Art Fair in 2010. Rashidi is a painter. Her subjects are usually women, preferably self portraits or people in her life. She usually paints on large canvases but in her Women on The Edge series, she ventures into small circular paintings as seen in this exhibition. Rashidi is married to the artist Morteza Pourhosseini.

Arash Sedaghatkish born in 1972 in Tehran, Arash Sedaghatkish studied painting at Tehran University, and is currently completing a Master of Fine Arts in the same institution. His work, strikingly realistic and direct, has already attracted plenty o…

Arash Sedaghatkish
born in 1972 in Tehran, Arash Sedaghatkish studied painting at Tehran University, and is currently completing a Master of Fine Arts in the same institution. His work, strikingly realistic and direct, has already attracted plenty of attention, and has been exhibited in the United Kingdom, as well as extensively in Tehran. According to the artist, the main subjects of his work are ‘urban environments and their occupants.’ As he explains, ‘Through my work I explore and comment on a variety of social exchanges and tensions which underline contemporary Iranian society, particularly among its youth.’ Of his unusual, tall format he says: ‘My work is created and viewed in series and in many ways resembles sequences of a movie. ’Primarily Sedaghatkish uses drawing and painting, though from time to time he also turns to photography; in fact he is currently working on a series of photographs of youths who have tattoos of famous paintings.

Jinoos Taghizadeh Jinoos Taghizadeh’s techniques work on different levels: they suggest an ironic counter-narrative to official discourse; private reponses to public events; the chasm between what is promised and what actually happens; and the true …

Jinoos Taghizadeh
Jinoos Taghizadeh’s techniques work on different levels: they suggest an ironic counter-narrative to official discourse; private reponses to public events; the chasm between what is promised and what actually happens; and the true meaning behind the politically correct euphemisms in which Khomeini’s revolution, like others before it, excelled. Her use of the hologram, nodding and winking from beneath the surface of the prints, means that the images change depending on where the viewer is standing, the quality of the light, and so on – suggesting subtly different ways of seeing. Rock, Paper, Scissors provides a tantalising glimpse of life beyond slogans. “Iran is not a black and white society,” said Aaran’s owner, Nazila Noebashari. “This country is not just an Islamic republic. Despite the official line there is another life, there is a vibrant art scene, people still manage to convey a message despite self-censorship and state censorship. Probably, if we were totally free to say everything we wanted to say, this wouldn’t have to be such a complex work.”

Hoda Zarbaf is an interdisciplinary artist currently living in Toronto. Hoda was born in Iran and relocated to Canada in 2008 to complete an MFA. She began exhibiting her paintings nationally right after entering her BFA at the University of Tehran.…

Hoda Zarbaf
is an interdisciplinary artist currently living in Toronto. Hoda was born in Iran and relocated to Canada in 2008 to complete an MFA. She began exhibiting her paintings nationally right after entering her BFA at the University of Tehran. She has successfully created and showed several series of large paintings, as well as site-specific video and large-scale pho-to installations in the Middle-East and North America.
Born in Tehran amid early years of the Islamic Revolution and war, Zarbaf’s imagination has been influenced by the age-old folklore narrations of her childhood. These stories, in conjunc-tion with her layered and one-off experiences, have formed a whimsical visual language that streams in her work. Zarbaf’s sculptural pieces are made intimately and meticulously in her Annex studio in Toronto.

Firouz Farman-FarmaianHistory and memory inform the work of Persian-born artist Firouz Farman-Farmaian, whose lifetime of living in exile in Paris, France profoundly influenced both his creative practice and individual character. “It is circumstance…

Firouz Farman-Farmaian

History and memory inform the work of Persian-born artist Firouz Farman-Farmaian, whose lifetime of living in exile in Paris, France profoundly influenced both his creative practice and individual character. “It is circumstance that ultimately shapes lives,” says the artist, whose work seeks to actively engage in a dialogue with the past. As such, his compositions possess a vivacious and spontaneous energy, as well as adeeply symbolic quality, which speaks to a multiplicity of currents in politics, art and philosophy.Rooted in Persian lore, and focused on themes of nature, architectonics and the interplay between realism and abstraction, Farman Farmaian’s diverse body of work is united by common motifs of movement and texture. The raw and visceral emotion of his pieces is tempered by their material properties, which are strongly rooted in a resolute emphasis on craftsmanship. Each work is the result of careful contemplation of the techniques and tools that will achieve a singular aesthetic and emotional intention. These in turn are deftly combined to create a unique visual rhythm across a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, film and music. Lives and works in Marbella, Spain

Dariush Nehdaran born in Isfahan /Iran in 1984 is a contemporary visual artist who fearlessly defies the rules in order to bring multiple and complex meanings to his work. Through rhythmic juxtaposed images containing a variety of perspectives, he c…

Dariush Nehdaran born in Isfahan /Iran in 1984 is a contemporary visual artist who fearlessly defies the rules in order to bring multiple and complex meanings to his work. Through rhythmic juxtaposed images containing a variety of perspectives, he constructs a world between dream and reality and plays with clarity and depth to suggest an alternative way of seeing things. Throughout his childhood, Dariush suffered from poor eyesight, but chose not to wear glasses to avoid the stigma of getting bullied. During that time, he experienced and viewed the world in a blurry and ambiguous way. When he became a teenager, the use of his grandfather’s camera enabled him to see the world clearly for the first time in his life. The fact that he saw the world blurry though his own eyes and clear through the lens of the camera and the printed images has driven him to explore the subject of amphibology as the main topic in his work. By doing so, he has created a unique style that demands his viewers’ attention and focus as part of the resolution in his work.

Nehdaran currently lives in San Francisco but has expanded his art internationally. His photographs and video works are available both in public and private collections worldwide including the Armando Reverón Contemporary Art Museum in Caracas-Venezuela 2018, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the US 2016, and the Salsali Private Museum in Dubai-UAE 2012.

Dariush is the recipient of multiple awards including the Nikon International Photo Contest in Japan 2015, the Hamghadam Photo Festival in France 2010, and the 7th Image of the Year Festival in Tehran 2010.

Shahram Karimi grew up in Shiraz. He is a self-taught artist who has been successful both in his own country and in the west. Karimi’s works have been exhibited in numerous countries ranging from Iran, Turkey, Germany, US, and Switzerland to name a …

Shahram Karimi grew up in Shiraz. He is a self-taught artist who has been successful both in his own country and in the west. Karimi’s works have been exhibited in numerous countries ranging from Iran, Turkey, Germany, US, and Switzerland to name a few. Shahram Karimi’s paintings portray the dilemma of the contemporary bicultural Iranian who seeks his historical and personal identity by wedding his personal past with contemporary form. Each one of Karimi’s paintings relates a fragment of his memories and national history, each a piece of his personal past. People, fowers, the ambience of an Iranian village stranded on his canvas bespeak of the past simplicity of Iran and yet in the remote corners of the same piece we often come across the depiction of a real historical event blended into the weaves of the artist’s canvas. Thus does the painter strive to unfold the dust of oblivion from his own memory and unveil the identity of the contemporary Iranian lost in a world of a much loved simple past and a fast tracking contemporary present that bears no relationship with the world of his childhood. This is where Karimi realizes the need for elements from his Iranian background and this is where he turns to Iranian poetry to thread it through his works and thereby to leave its mark. The writings in his works are hard to read and are in fact only threads that rise out of the painting to join its various corners together and to leave the reader with the unforgettable remembrance of where it all stemmed from: the Persian poem that Iranians take such pride in and which to them is the single indivisible cultural element they all embrace. And yet the painter goes even further: the separate frames of memory he leaves in various corners of his work rise from his personal conscious and unconscious. Karimi’s misty background greys and blues force the viewer to witness how what we see as memory still lives on in us to control, infuence and shape our present. Shahram Karimi is presently living and working in Germany and the United States.

Sara Ghanbari born in Tehran in 1980, plays with notions of time and it’s effect on people. By using real leaves and painting over them she tests time and nature. Each leaf is scanned in various stages of decay and the final selection is presented a…

Sara Ghanbari
born in Tehran in 1980, plays with notions of time and it’s effect on people. By using real leaves and painting over them she tests time and nature. Each leaf is scanned in various stages of decay and the final selection is presented as a series portraying one person. The delicacy in her paintings and overt attention to detail is exemplary among the young artists of Iran. By painting portrays of friends and relatives, Ghanbari engraves their image as a way to deny decay and death.

Mohammad Hamzeh born in Tehran in 1963, Mohammad Hamzeh studied art in the same city and has been exhibiting in Iran since the early 1990s. His paintings—mostly portraits of people who surround him in everyday life—are made in a naturalistic manner,…

Mohammad Hamzeh
born in Tehran in 1963, Mohammad Hamzeh studied art in the same city and has been exhibiting in Iran since the early 1990s. His paintings—mostly portraits of people who surround him in everyday life—are made in a naturalistic manner, to scale and in proportion; however, Hamzeh then deliberately crumples and distorts the works, an act by which he hopes to ‘capture the subject’s inner soul.’ This fragmented effect, though interesting from a formal point of view, can also suggest unease and dislocation.

Kamyar Kafaie was born in 1979 in Tehran. He is a self-taught artist who enjoyed drawing before he could read or write. His early work was on almost every page of his textbooks, where he drew caricatures of his teachers, friends and classmates. He g…

Kamyar Kafaie
was born in 1979 in Tehran. He is a self-taught artist who enjoyed drawing before he could read or write. His early work was on almost every page of his textbooks, where he drew caricatures of his teachers, friends and classmates. He grew up in a family where creativity was appreciated unlike his school where math and science were the focus. His major artistic influence through out his life has been his father.

Farsad Labbauf is a multidisciplinary Iranian artist living and working in the New York area. Best known for his linear figurative paintings, Labbauf immigrated to the United States at the age of thirteen. After enrolling in Rhode Island School of Design in 1982, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, followed by a second degree in Industrial Design. The origins of Labbauf's work lie in Figurative Expressionism, a style he practiced for more than two decades leading to the creation of his linear figurative painting style. His paintings as well as his ongoing sewing series are inspired by studies in quantum physics and a reverence for ideas of “Unity and Monism”. Labbauf first started exploring these ideas during an initial trip back to his native country of Iran in his first sewing series, made twenty one years ago. His work has been featured in more than sixty group shows across the globe, including the Saatchi Gallery in London, Leslie Lohman Museum in New York, Ex Aurum Museum in Pescara, Italy, as well as The Jersey City Museum in New Jersey. Additionally, he has held solo exhibitions in New York, Boston, Amsterdam and Tehran. Labbauf's work can be found in numerous public and private collections including The Salsali Museum, The Afkhami Collection, The Saatchi Gallery and The Newark Museum of Art as well as Carsten de Boer and Lie Sang Bong art collections.

Farsad Labbauf
is a multidisciplinary Iranian artist living and working in the New York area. Best known for his linear figurative paintings, Labbauf immigrated to the United States at the age of thirteen. After enrolling in Rhode Island School of Design in 1982, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, followed by a second degree in Industrial Design. The origins of Labbauf's work lie in Figurative Expressionism, a style he practiced for more than two decades leading to the creation of his linear figurative painting style. His paintings as well as his ongoing sewing series are inspired by studies in quantum physics and a reverence for ideas of “Unity and Monism”. Labbauf first started exploring these ideas during an initial trip back to his native country of Iran in his first sewing series, made twenty one years ago. His work has been featured in more than sixty group shows across the globe, including the Saatchi Gallery in London, Leslie Lohman Museum in New York, Ex Aurum Museum in Pescara, Italy, as well as The Jersey City Museum in New Jersey. Additionally, he has held solo exhibitions in New York, Boston, Amsterdam and Tehran. Labbauf's work can be found in numerous public and private collections including The Salsali Museum, The Afkhami Collection, The Saatchi Gallery and The Newark Museum of Art as well as Carsten de Boer and Lie Sang Bong art collections.

Alishia Morassaie born in 1980 in Tehran, has participated in numerous group exhibitions. The artist made a name for herself with a solo show in 2013, titled Tehran No 12, where she portrayed the ambiance of fear and stress in a party when the Moral…

Alishia Morassaie
born in 1980 in Tehran, has participated in numerous group exhibitions. The artist made a name for herself with a solo show in 2013, titled Tehran No 12, where she portrayed the ambiance of fear and stress in a party when the Moral police shows up and she and her friends are hastily covering up and trying to escape. The audience could find the hidden figures behind purpose built structures using a flashlight. Her earlier works also show the environment of stress and insecurity that the young generations of Iranians have learned to live with.

Allahyar Najafi Since 2000 when he was a Graphic De-sign student, Allahyar Najafi, engaged in various fields of fine arts namely visual arts and music compositions. As a freelance graphic designer and composer he has done numerous interesting projec…

Allahyar Najafi
Since 2000 when he was a Graphic De-sign student, Allahyar Najafi, engaged in various fields of fine arts namely visual arts and music compositions.
As a freelance graphic designer and composer he has done numerous interesting projects and currently focuses on video art, short films and animation.
Najafi worked on many video projects for different TV channels in India while pursuing his higher education. He obtained his Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from C.K.P Bangalore in 2006.While in India he experimented with printmaking, photography and music compositions. In 2012, Najafi returned to Iran where he pursued painting and video art as well as music. He lives in Rasht, a city in the north of Iran far away from the capital.

Ivan Perera was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1993. In 2012 he finished his studies in visual arts at the provincial art school Eduardo Abela, San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba. That same year he won a prize in the national student lounge in Havana. In 2013…

Ivan Perera
was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1993. In 2012 he finished his studies in visual arts at the provincial art school Eduardo Abela, San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba. That same year he won a prize in the national student lounge in Havana. In 2013 he began his studies at the ISA (University of Art in Cuba). His first solo exhibition entitled "Ibid" was shown in 2013 in Havana. He has participated in various work-shops with German artists through Alanus University of Bonn. In 2015 he participated in the Havana Biennial through various exhibitions and projects such as Casa Nuestra. Perera's work has been exhibited in Cuba, United States and Germany.

Sepideh Salehi is a multidisciplinary artist born in Tehran, Iran. She left Iran to attend Accademia di belle Arti in Florence, Italy where she received her MFA in Visual Art and Multimedia. She works in various mediums and utilizes different proces…

Sepideh Salehi
is a multidisciplinary artist born in Tehran, Iran. She left Iran to attend Accademia di belle Arti in Florence, Italy where she received her MFA in Visual Art and Multimedia. She works in various mediums and utilizes different processes ranging from painting and printmaking to video art and animation. Sepideh's work has been exhibited internationally in Italy, France, Switzerland and the United States. Some of the venues for her shows include, Craft & Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, CA, the cutlog Art Fair in New York, Kentler International Drawing Space in Brooklyn, NY, Tribeca Video Art Festival, New York, Centre for Contemporary Art Luigi Pecci, Prato, Italy, Museum of Virgiliano in Mantova, Italy, International Bologna Art Fair in Italy. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn New York.

Sina Ghassemi Shilsar 1984 Bandar Anzali, Gilan, Iran Education: 2014 MFA Painting, Tehran, Iran Solo Exhibition: 2012, 2016 Dastan’s Basement, Tehran, Iran Group Exhibitions: 2015 Gallery 6, Tehran, 2015 Ab Anbar, Tehran, 2014 Sam Art, A Project by…

Sina Ghassemi Shilsar
1984 Bandar Anzali, Gilan, Iran Education: 2014 MFA Painting, Tehran, Iran
Solo Exhibition: 2012, 2016 Dastan’s Basement, Tehran, Iran Group Exhibitions: 2015 Gallery 6, Tehran, 2015 Ab Anbar, Tehran, 2014 Sam Art, A Project by Dastan Outside the Basement 2013 Iranian Artists’Forum, Tehran 2013 Etemad Gallery, Tehran 2012 Pardis Mellat Gallery , Tehran 2013 Dastan Basement, tehran 2012 Aria Art Gallery, Tehran 20112 Art Expo, Vahdat Hall, tehran 2011 Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran 2011 Aria Art Gallery, Tehran 2010 Iranian Artists’ Forum, Tehran

Myriam Quiel Tami born in Germany in 1974, Myriam Quiel Tami is a German- Iranian artist based in Tehran since 2009. She studied Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden and graduated in 2003. Her paintings are inspired by installations she a…

Myriam Quiel Tami
born in Germany in 1974, Myriam Quiel Tami is a German- Iranian artist based in Tehran since 2009. She studied Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden and graduated in 2003. Her paintings are inspired by installations she arranges in her studio, a kind of still life in which she combines different objects such as trash, puppets, pack-ages, plants and withered flowers as well as blurred shapes and abstract patterns. In her work there is no story to follow just associations by a flood of images surrounding us in our modern life.

Myriam started her work as a freelance artist in 2004 in Berlin and continued her career exhibiting in different galleries in Germany. In 2007 she travelled to Iran searching for her roots, and decided to stay. Since 2008 she shows her work in Iran and abroad. Her works are part of the collections of: Willy Brandt Haus in Berlin, Germany, Collection of 19.-21. Century Museum Kassel,Germany City Museum Oldenburg, Germany as well as various private collections. In 2007 she won the Public Insurance Award, (Förderpreis der Öffentlichen Versicherung): Art Foundation, City Museum, Oldenburg, Germany and in 2003 was awarded the best Graduate Prize from Dresden Academy of Fine Arts ,Germany.

Arman has been a professional photographer for over 30 years. During this time, he has done everything from teaching photography in Toulouse to being a fashion photographer in New York. A graduate of the ETPA, he has often worked in corporate and fi…

Arman has been a professional photographer for over 30 years. During this time, he has done everything from teaching photography in Toulouse to being a fashion photographer in New York. A graduate of the ETPA, he has often worked in corporate and fine art photography and exhibited in prestigious locations such as the Galerie Municipale du Chateau d’Eau and Le Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. Recently he showed his work in a group exhibition at the Paris based gallery Nicolas Flamel and a solo exhibition at the Seyhoun Art Gallery in Tehran. Although Arman has a considerable experience in portraiture and reportage photography in France and around the world, he is perhaps best known for his innovative and artistic style. Arman lives and works in Paris.

Marco Gallotta is an Italian-born, New York city-based artist. He received his associate’s degree in fashion illustration and a bachelor degree in general illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology. He grew up in Battipaglia, a town in th…

Marco Gallotta is an Italian-born, New York city-based artist. He received his associate’s degree in fashion illustration and a bachelor degree in general illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology. He grew up in Battipaglia, a town in the Campania region of southwestern Italy, before moving to New York city in 1998. His artistic craft consists mostly of paper-cutting techniques, drawing, painting, and printmaking.

Mir Mola SorayaBorn in Ramsar/Iran in 1978, Mir Mola Soraya received his degrees in traditional Iranian Art, Carpet weaving and handicraft at Soureh University, Azad University and Miras University between 1999 and 2009. In the past 14 years, Mola S…

Mir Mola Soraya

Born in Ramsar/Iran in 1978, Mir Mola Soraya received his degrees in traditional Iranian Art, Carpet weaving and handicraft at Soureh University, Azad University and Miras University between 1999 and 2009. In the past 14 years, Mola Soraya has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions in Iran, the Middle East and the US.

He has collaborated as a senior carpet designer with the most prestigious carpet companies all over Iran in addition to designing his own most unique contemporary hand woven carpets made by master weavers in Iranian provinces famous for the craft. Mir Mola works with international designers all over the world including the famous India Mahdavi in Paris. Mir Mola works and lives in Tehran with his wife Laleh Soraya who is a great ceramic designer.

Sara Madandar is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist based in the United States. She received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and her BA in painting from the Azad University of Art and Architecture in Tehran. Through a varied range of…

Sara Madandar is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist based in the United States. She received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and her BA in painting from the Azad University of Art and Architecture in Tehran. Through a varied range of media — such as painting, video, installation and performance — Madandar explores migration and the human experience of living in between cultures. Her work uses the aesthetics of language, clothing, and bodies to study the complexities of cross-cultural experiences from a ross-novel perspective. Madandar’s most recent accolade was an award from the Texas Visual Artists Association (TVAA) in their 2016 exhibition in Dallas. In 2015, she won an award, curated by Jessica Beck of the Andy Warhol museum, from the Southeastern College Art Conference (SECAC). Sara’s work has been featured at Co-Lab, New Orleans Museum of Art, Austin City Hall, New Orleans Contemporary Art Center, Elisabeth Ney Museum, Mom Gallery, Courtyard Gallery, and the Asian American Resource Center among others.

Dariush Gharahzad was born in Tehran in 1976. Trained in painting and drawing, Gharahzad now concentrates on extremely realistic paintings that are often mistaken for photographs. His work has been shown in several exhibitions in Iran, London, and N…

Dariush Gharahzad
was born in Tehran in 1976. Trained in painting and drawing, Gharahzad now concentrates on extremely realistic paintings that are often mistaken for photographs. His work has been shown in several exhibitions in Iran, London, and New York, and has been included in Sotheby’s & Christies’ auctions for several years.

Shamsia Hassani (b.1988, Tehran, Iran) is an Afghan graffiti artist and a lecturer of Fine Arts at Kabul University, Afghanistan. She received her bachelor’s degree in Arts in 2010 and master’s degree in Visual Arts in 2014 from Kabul University. Sh…

Shamsia Hassani
(b.1988, Tehran, Iran) is an Afghan graffiti artist and a lecturer of Fine Arts at Kabul University, Afghanistan. She received her bachelor’s degree in Arts in 2010 and master’s degree in Visual Arts in 2014 from Kabul University. She is a co-founder of Berang Art Organization, an artist run group that promotes contemporary art and culture in Afghanistan through programs, workshops, seminars, and exhibitions. Through her artwork, she gives Afghan women power in a male dominated society.

Amir Nasr Kamgooyan was born in Tehran in 1982. He received his BA in Graphic design from The Tehran Moaser Academy and his Masters degree in Graphic Design from Soureh University in Shiraz. He was always interested in printmaking, mainly photo silk…

Amir Nasr Kamgooyan
was born in Tehran in 1982. He received his BA in Graphic design from The Tehran Moaser Academy and his Masters degree in Graphic Design from Soureh University in Shiraz. He was always interested in printmaking, mainly photo silk printing and photoengraving. This special interest led him to pursue various printing techniques.

Glenda León Cuba born and Madrid/Havana based artist, Glenda León has exhibited widely and internationally. Her works have been showcased at the Cuban Pavillion of the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, SITE Santa Fe Biennial, 2014, and several Havana Bi…

Glenda León
Cuba born and Madrid/Havana based artist, Glenda León has exhibited widely and internationally. Her works have been showcased at the Cuban Pavillion of the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, SITE Santa Fe Biennial, 2014, and several Havana Biennials. She received her BA in Art History in 1999 from the University of Havana and an MFA from Academy of New Media Art in Cologne, Germany in 2007. Her works are in museum collections including the Centre George Pompidou, Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal and the AGO in Toronto. She is also the author of many essays featured in prestigious books and publications, including the book La Condición Performática (Pinos Nuevos, La Habana, 2000), translated into French by Éditions Nota Bene, Montreal in 2010.

Ahmad Morshedloo born in 1973 in Mashhad, Iran, Ahmad Morshedloo is one of Iran’s most original painters. He studied first at the Azad University in Tehran, and then in 2001 completed a Master of Arts in Painting. Since then he has exhibited widely,…

Ahmad Morshedloo
born in 1973 in Mashhad, Iran, Ahmad Morshedloo is one of Iran’s most original painters. He studied first at the Azad University in Tehran, and then in 2001 completed a Master of Arts in Painting. Since then he has exhibited widely, including several solo shows in Tehran and group shows in Europe and the United Arab Emirates. He also teaches at a number of universities in Iran.

Dana Nehdaran was born in the Iranian neighborhood of Chaharbagh on the anniversary of his maternal grandfather’s death in 1982. He took his given name, Rahmatollah, from his grandfather who was an art, antique and rare gem merchant; however, he has…

Dana Nehdaran
was born in the Iranian neighborhood of Chaharbagh on the anniversary of his maternal grandfather’s death in 1982. He took his given name, Rahmatollah, from his grandfather who was an art, antique and rare gem merchant; however, he has always been known by his Persian name, Dana, meaning wise. His grandparents’ home held a marvelous collection of paintings and antiques, and his mother and father were arts aficionados, traveling the world to view noted institutional and residential collections. As a child, Dana took great wonder and inspiration from this family’s passion for art and became motivated to study painting after discovering an uncle’s discarded box of art supplies at his grandmother’s house. His mother recognized his passion and talent, nurtured by sharing images from her world travels, and enrolled Dana in private art classes with Hassanpour, a well-known artist who taught Dana fundamentals of art that would eventually lead him to study painting at the Soureh Art University in Shiraz.

Morteza Pourhosseini is a fast-rising young contemporary artist who has not only sold successfully in Sothebys’ 2011 London sale of Middle Eastern art but has also recently been acquired by the Met. Pourhosseini’s latest works brings many layers of …

Morteza Pourhosseini
is a fast-rising young contemporary artist who has not only sold successfully in Sothebys’ 2011 London sale of Middle Eastern art but has also recently been acquired by the Met. Pourhosseini’s latest works brings many layers of meaning to its audience in a series of arresting portraits. A circus it definitely is: sword-swallowers, zurkhaneh-type wrestlers, dagger-players—all appear before us in dazzling hyper-realism. Seemingly modern figures bear the stamp of tradition, sometimes with exquisite calligraphy casting a shadow or showing up as a tattoo. One or two works push the boundaries, while others make disturbing statements, at once weaving the two incompatible ideas of religion and magic together. There is a vulnerable balance between beauty and terror, the message clearly relying on the sheer power of the unexpected. There is nothing quite like the combination of enigma and anomaly to startle and captivate.

Behrang Samadzadegan was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1979. He received his BFA from the Tehran University of Arts, and his MFA from TTU (Tehran Tarbiat Modares University).  His work ranges from highly symbolic pieces to sculptures made of stuffed-toys…

Behrang Samadzadegan
was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1979. He received his BFA from the Tehran University of Arts, and his MFA from TTU (Tehran Tarbiat Modares University).
His work ranges from highly symbolic pieces to sculptures made of stuffed-toys arrangements, to drawings and paintings and installations that restage ritual or historical narratives. A critic and curator, Samadzadegan writes regularly for art journals and newspapers in Iran and has organized numerous exhibitions incorporating works by fellow artists.

Morteza Ghasemi Shilsar 1982 Bandar Anzali, Gilan, Iran Education: 2014 MFA Painting, Tehran, Iran Solo Exhibition: 2012,2014,2016 Dastan’s Basement, Tehran, Iran. Group Exhibitions: 2015 Lajevardi Foundation, Tehran, 2015 Ab Anbar, Tehran, 2014 Sam…

Morteza Ghasemi Shilsar
1982 Bandar Anzali, Gilan, Iran Education: 2014 MFA Painting, Tehran, Iran
Solo Exhibition: 2012,2014,2016 Dastan’s Basement, Tehran, Iran. Group Exhibitions: 2015 Lajevardi Foundation, Tehran, 2015 Ab Anbar, Tehran, 2014 Sam Art, A Project by Dastan Outside the Basement 2013 Art Fair, Paris, France 2012 Art Fair, Paris, France 2013 Dastan Basement, tehran 2012 Aria Art Gallery, Tehran 2011 Aria Art Gallery, Tehran

Sadegh Tirafkan is one of the pioneers of “conceptual art” in post-revolutionary Iran in that in his works’ technique is in the service of concept. His name is often associated with photography and he studied photography at the university, but he wa…

Sadegh Tirafkan
is one of the pioneers of “conceptual art” in post-revolutionary Iran in that in his works’ technique is in the service of concept. His name is often associated with photography and he studied photography at the university, but he was more the director of his works than their executioner— in fact, the person behind the camera in most of his works was photographer Abbas Kowsari.

Tirafkan was also among the first post-revolutionary artists who didn’t limit himself to a medium. In Persepolis (1995-98), for example, the artist produces the first specimen of video art in Iran. He exhibited his works mostly in diverse installation formats. Tirafkan can indeed be likened to a film director whose concern with form is tied to the conceptual questions that the work asks: What is male? What is an Iranian? What is the nature of knowledge? Where is the fount of tradition? What does history tell us? How does beauty show itself?
-Sohrab Mahdavi is one of the pioneers of “conceptual art” in post-revolutionary Iran in that in his works’ technique is in the service of concept. His name is often associated with photography and he studied photography at the university, but he was more the director of his works than their executioner— in fact, the person behind the camera in most of his works was photographer Abbas Kowsari.

Tirafkan was also among the first post-revolutionary artists who didn’t limit himself to a medium. In Persepolis (1995-98), for example, the artist produces the first specimen of video art in Iran. He exhibited his works mostly in diverse installation formats. Tirafkan can indeed be likened to a film director whose concern with form is tied to the conceptual questions that the work asks: What is male? What is an Iranian? What is the nature of knowledge? Where is the fount of tradition? What does history tell us? How does beauty show itself?
-Sohrab Mahdavi

Mehdi DarvishiBorn in Iran in 1988, Mehdi Darvishi is no stranger in the world of printmaking. He received his BFA in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tehran University in 2012, and since has been very active both exhibiting and participati…

Mehdi Darvishi

Born in Iran in 1988, Mehdi Darvishi is no stranger in the world of printmaking. He received his BFA in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tehran University in 2012, and since has been very active both exhibiting and participating in festivals and biennials worldwide.

Darvishi has participated in solo exhibitions in Iran, Lebanon and Serbia as well as group shows in China, Dubai, Kuwait, Mexico, Spain, and the US.

His participation in prestigious juried exhibitions, Biennials and Triennials since 2010 are extremely impressive considering his young age. They include important events such as the Print Triennial in Kochi/Japan, Falum/Cracow, Serbia, biennials in China, Italy, Iran, Portugal, Romania, and festivals in Canada, Iran, Russia and Spain.

He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Megalo Print Residency award in Canberra Australia, The Ural print in Ufa triennial Russia, honorable mention in the mini print Vancouver biennial, Canada, Second price, in the international Print festival Istanbul Turkey, honorable mention in Awagami international Print festival Japan, Grand Prize at the 9th BIECTR, Canada, and many more.

Darvishi’s works are part of a major selection of international public and private collections such as Manhattan graphics center, NYC, USA, Atelier Circulaire, Montreal, Canada, Bashkir State Art University, M.V. Nestrov, Ufa, Russia, Graphic Art permanent collection of Belgrade University, Belgrade Serbia, Tama Art University Collection, Tokyo, Japan. Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, Mezzotint Collection, Ekaterinburg, Russia, and Tehran Museum of contemporary Art, Tehran, Iran. Mehdi Darvishi resides and works in Tehran, Iran.

Shirin Hosseinvand is an Iranian American female artist with a bachelor degree in Art (Painting) and Fashion Design from prestigious “Parsons The New School for Design” in NYC. With a resume that ranges from Art to Fashion Design, she sees creative …

Shirin Hosseinvand is an Iranian American female artist with a bachelor degree in Art (Painting) and Fashion Design from prestigious “Parsons The New School for Design” in NYC. With a resume that ranges from Art to Fashion Design, she sees creative projects a thinking process and an ability to transform objects and materials into extraordinary alternate worlds that manifest powerful visions of its creator.

Living and working in different parts of the world, Tehran, Paris, Toronto, New York and DC, her focus is mainly on giving an ethnic identity to the concept of globalization and mass production. She believes that globalization and industrialism had developed cultural interaction between nations, but it’s lacking the identity that any culture can offer to a product.

Maryam Palizgir is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who was born and raised in Iran. She received her MFA from Georgia State University in 2018. She has presented her work in solo and group exhibitions in the United States, UK, France, Russi…

Maryam Palizgir is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who was born and raised in Iran. She received her MFA from Georgia State University in 2018. She has presented her work in solo and group exhibitions in the United States, UK, France, Russia, Germany, and Iran. Palizgir’s work has been featured in many major publications. She won the first prize for conceptual arts in the 6th Iran International Green Film and Visual art Festival (IIGFF6). She was an artist in residence at the Cornelius Art Foundation in Lagamas, France in 2014, and received a grant from Triangle Network in London.

Maryam Palizgir practice is an amalgam of subject matter process study and material- manipulation of forms in space. She seeks to capture the tensions existing between traditions and contemporaneity, reality and aspirations, individuality and community, localism and universality, authority and freedom, conformism and self-expression. She is preoccupied with finding new ways of seeing through the experimental cross-fertilization of drawing, printmaking, sculpture, painting, and photography which stimulated a philosophically oriented questioning of vision and perception. Exploring the ways we exchange knowledge, and how perception widens our perspective, and how observation deepens our understanding of the reality in which we live. She challenges viewers’ perception and seeks works of art that activate once the viewer is involved.

The material study steers her to think about the flexibility of materials. Palizgir has been working with multi-layered industrial materials like fiberglass screen mesh, reflective sheets, natural and artificial light, and acrylic paint. The net visual embodiment of her installation creates a transition of dimensionality, depicting the state of ephemerality and constant change, combined with the possibility of the viewers’ displacement.

Farnaz Zabetian was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She started painting when she was 10 years old. Zabetian received her BFA from Azad Art and Architecture University, Tehran, Iran in 1998. For 10 years before coming to United States, Zabetian tau…

Farnaz Zabetian was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She started painting when she was 10 years old. Zabetian received her BFA from Azad Art and Architecture University, Tehran, Iran in 1998. For 10 years before coming to United States, Zabetian taught art history, illustration, painting at several art Universities in Tehran, Iran. Her work was always well received and written about in art magazine and publications. Zabetian has had 12 solo shows and 9 group ones. She exhibited in Sondouzi Art Museum in 2008 and her work was chosen to be displayed in Saad Abad Museum in 2009. Recently, in 2015 she had a solo show at Live Warms Gallery in San Francisco.

Zabetian was accepted to the Society of Iranian painters (STP) and received her MFA from Azad Art and Architecture University in 2001 in Tehran, Iran.

Zahra Nazari (b.1985 in Hamedan, Iran) is a New York based painter, sculptor, and installation artist working with architectural themes. Nazari has exhibited both nationally and internationally in galleries and museums including: the Bronx Museum, N…

Zahra Nazari (b.1985 in Hamedan, Iran) is a New York based painter, sculptor, and installation artist working with architectural themes.

Nazari has exhibited both nationally and internationally in galleries and museums including: the Bronx Museum, NY; Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, NY; MANA Contemporary, NJ; Spartanburg Art Museum, SC; Masur Museum of Art, LA; New York Academy of Art, NY; Denise Bibro Fine Art, NY; Boccara Art Gallery, NY; Painting Center, NY; A Center for Contemporary Art, NJ; Illinois Institute of Art, IL; Manifest Gallery, IL; Woman Made Gallery, IL; China Millennium Monument, Beijing, China; Xuancheng Museum, Anhui, China; Lite-Haus Galerie, Berlin, Germany; Saba Institution, and Baran Gallery in Tehran, Iran.

She has been the recipient of many awards including: the AIM Fellowship from the Bronx Museum, NY; the Creative Engagement Grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, NY; the Mentoring Program from New York Foundation for the Arts, NY (NYFA); a Visiting Artist Fellowship from MASS MoCA; an Artist Residency Fellowship from Cooper Union; an Artist Residency from Sculpture Space in Utica, NY, and an Artist Residency from the Vermont Studio Center, VT.

She has given artist talks and participated as a panelist at institutions such as NYU, Columbia University, Cooper Union, and Pratt Institute in New York City. She has been interviewed by Hamptons Art Hub, Hyperallergic, Whitehot Magazine, ZH Magazine, and more. Her works are included in private and public collections in the US, Canada, and Asia.

Atieh Sohrabi was born in Tehran in 1976 and currently lives in New York City. As a freelance Illustrator and artist, Atieh Sohrabi majored in Industrial Design in 2001 from Azad Art University in Tehran, and later decided to switch into i…

Atieh Sohrabi was born in Tehran in 1976 and currently lives in New York City. As a freelance Illustrator and artist, Atieh Sohrabi majored in Industrial Design in 2001 from Azad Art University in Tehran, and later decided to switch into illustrations. 

Atieh's books have been included in various museum exhibitions around the world, i.e. the Biennale of Illustrations Bratislava (2003, 2009, 2015), Biennale of Illustration Golden Pen Belgrade (2005, 2007, 2009), 24th BIB Exhibition in Hiratsuka Art Museum, Kawara Museum of Takahama City Chiba City Museum of Art, Ashikaga Museum of Art, Urawa Art Museum in 

Japan (2014), Society of Illustrators in NYC, Illustrators59 (2016) and more. She has been the recipient of numerous international and national awards throughout her career including The Diploma of Honor, 200th Birthday of Hans Christian Andersen Children Book Council of Iran (2005), The Runner-up Prize, Noma Concours, Japan (2006), The Diploma of Honor, The 11th,12th, and 13th Salam Book Festival, The Diploma of Honor, Children’s Book Council of Iran (IBBY) (2015), and more. 

She moved to New York in 2015. She published her three art notebooks as a collection in Iran in 2018. She was part of a group exhibition in White Wall Space Gallery in 2019 and one of her works was acquired by LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum. Recently Atieh’s work was featured in NPR Podcasts Code Switch.

Roxana Manouchehri is a professional visual artist based in Dublin, Ireland.She received her MFA in Fine Art from Tehran University of Art; she has been teaching art and giving talks and workshops since 1995 in different universities in Tehran, Seou…

Roxana Manouchehri is a professional visual artist based in Dublin, Ireland.

She received her MFA in Fine Art from Tehran University of Art; she has been teaching art and giving talks and workshops since 1995 in different universities in Tehran, Seoul, and Dublin including Trinity College, the Chester Beatty collection, and IMMA in Dublin.

She has had more than 50 group exhibitions and 15 solo exhibitions internationally (London, Tehran, Seoul) including the RHA and the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery in Dublin. 

Some of her works are in important private and public collections internationally such as OPW, AIB bank, AXA insurance in Dublin, and Asia Art Network in Seoul. 

Her main interest is drawing on paper. She is an expert in the art of geometrical patterns, reverse painting on glass and mirror, as well as Islamic patterns. European medieval and Persian manuscripts are her main resources for her practice.

Roxana’s works delve into the paradox between our contemporary lifestyle and the lost ideals while she confronts her fears, dreams and fantasies in her oeuvre.

Parastoo Ahovan is a visual artist who lives and works in New York City. She holds an MFA from Pratt Institute 2012 and another from Boston University in 2014. Her works include various materials and multiple mediums, such as painting, sculptur…

Parastoo Ahovan is a visual artist who lives and works in New York City. She holds an MFA from Pratt Institute 2012 and another from Boston University in 2014. 

Her works include various materials and multiple mediums, such as painting, sculpture, installation, mixed media, video, and performance. She has exhibited her works in National Pavilion of Iran, Venice Biennial, Italy. Mykonos Biennial, Athens, Greece. International Biennial Art Olympia, Tokyo, Japan. Festival Fleurs de Lava, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Magic In LA Auction Gala, Bonhams Auction House, LA. A.I.R Gallery, “The Beginning Choice’’, Brooklyn, NY. Nave Gallery, Boston MA. Imago Mundi art, International group show, Italy, Changsha International Sculpture Festival, Chansha, China. Santa Isabel de Hungaria, Sevilla, Spain. LTMH Gallery, New York, NY. 1st Tehran International Sculpture Symposium, The 1st Sculpture Biennial for Urban Space, Barg Gallery. 16th International Symposium of stone sculpture in Friuli Venezia Giuliareana Del Rojale, Italy. 1st International Sculpture symposium of Uttarayan, Vadodara, India.1st International Sculpture Symposium of Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey. Magic of Persia contemporary art prize, London, UK. 

Her sculptures are installed in urban space in China, France, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Turkey, and UAE.

Afsoon is an Iranian born, London based artist. Occident and Orient coexist in her works, which are multi layered and often combine text with images, using various media such as Linocuts, watercolour, photography, collage, and etching. She returns e…

Afsoon is an Iranian born, London based artist. Occident and Orient coexist in her works, which are multi layered and often combine text with images, using various media such as Linocuts, watercolour, photography, collage, and etching. She returns emotionally to her motherland via her work, which results from painstaking research into her chosen subject matter.

Afsoon’s works have been extensively exhibited and can be found worldwide in prominent collections and museums, including the British Museum, LACMA and Berger/YSL Collection, among others.

Ala Dehghan received her MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Yale University and BFA in Persian Miniature Painting from​ ​Tehran University​.

Her work has been reviewed in Frieze Magazine, Art F City, The Drawing Center, ATP Diary, Time Out New York Critics’ Picks, Artribune and The American Reader among others.

Dehghan has participated in artist talks at The Cooper Union and NYC Creative Salon in New York.

She has had solo presentations at Otto Zoo Gallery in Milan, Kalfayan Galleries in Athens, and Thomas Erben Gallery in New York​.

She is concerned with intersections of social and spatial configurations. She creates ​systems which embrace organic and technological components​,​ using the strategies of collage, montage, and assemblage​,​ through the lens of post-humanism and intersectional feminism.

Mo Jahangir is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist who lives in Atlanta. He graduated with an M.F.A. from Georgia State University and earned B.A in Law. The dominant theme in his work is distinguished by observation of his surroundings and an ongoi…

Mo Jahangir is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist who lives in Atlanta. He graduated with an M.F.A. from Georgia State University and earned B.A in Law. The dominant theme in his work is distinguished by observation of his surroundings and an ongoing modification and investigation of the photographic medium’s foundations.

He has participated in an art residency in Viafarini organization for contemporary art in Milan, Italy in 2015. He has held various exhibitions around the world, is shown in many museums such as Tehran Museum of contemporary art, The Craft & Folk Art Museum in LA, US. Jahangir is an honorable member of the Institute for Promotion of Contemporary Visual Art, Tehran, Iran, National Iranian Photographers’ Society (NIPS) and International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP).