About Me

As an artist, I have enjoyed engaging myself in the act of painting and etching. Creating something new from a few raw materials excites me. As a write? Hopefully soon…

 My Cultural Background

I was born in Iran and lived there more than thirty years before moving to and living in other countries; therefore, I became culturally Persian (Iranian). My work primarily was influenced by the Persian visual culture. Living in other countries, such as Argentina, USA, Australia, and briefly in China, provided opportunity to experience other cultures. Through this life journey, I have been able to find inspirations to experiment with diverse cultural creations.

An Intimate Childhood Story

 

 

I was born in this house which was made of mud and hay.

In Neyriz, a small town in the south east of Shiraz.

Shiraz is the capital of the province of Pars  in Iran.

My father was a gardener and a farmer.

My mother was a housewife.

She had a child in her womb

and a child on her lap.

She gave birth to eight children.

I was the only boy within seven girls.

One died.

She cooked and clean

and the rest.

My Father garden

We were living six months out of a year in a garden which my father had made –not for himself, for a landlord. A stream of water was freely passed through the garden all the time. The water had been channelled from faraway mountains by a Qanat system. Qanat is the name of the ancient Persian irrigation system. Qanat is made of a row of wells interconnected by underground channel through which water from high mountains is led to the flat area. I think Qanat is an evidence to the ingenuity of the ancient Persians who invented this irrigation system in order to efficiently and effectively manage water resources within the Iranian arid climate. My father’s garden was the most beautiful of all and a place for picnic and camping, and relaxation. For me, the garden was the “Paradise on Earth”. As is the Iranian custom, the door was always open to good people.  The garden was witness to the story of my father’s falling in love with my mother. He was walking on his way to the garden, when he saw a beautiful girl riding a donkey going with her father to their own property. He falls in love with her. He sends a friend to her father to ask permission to marry his daughter. After some rejections and following persistence, they married which results in my conception in the garden (after 4 girls).