About my Work

IT IS ALL ABOUT LIFE AND CULTURE

My artwork is Colourful and diverse in style and subject matter.

I began rather late in my life to invest in my passion for the art of painting. I became interested in painting in 1972. I was in a small bookshop in the city of Sanandaj in Iran, browsing shelves to buy a book. A young lad referred to the book in my hand, “Lust for Life” the story of Vincent Van Gogh,  and said: “if you read this book, it will change your life”. Becoming curious, I bought and read the book. Indeed, it influenced me intensely, sparked curiosity, and planted a seed of change in my subconscious mind.

My passionate initial experimentation with oil paint generated such an excitement that I could not stop painting for days, resulting in several pleasing unfinished paintings. The excitement resulted from this experimentation was enough to instigate a drastic turning point in my life. However, due to my personal and family circumstances, it took twenty years until I could fully get involved with the art of painting, and let the seed of change to fully blossom. In 1992, while residing and working in Miami Florida, I decided to seriously study and practice visual arts. At the time, I had a Bachelor Degree in Management and was a Certified Internal Auditor, and had twenty years of work experience.

Because of living more than thirty years of my life in Iran, my work primarily has been influenced by my Iranian visual culture. I have also experienced other cultures; therefore, my work’s content and style have become diversified.

An artistic journey without destination.

I initiated experimentation without any predispositions, dealing with many subjects and different styles. In 1993, I undertook painting courses at the Florida International University. In the same year, I migrated to Adelaide, where I took up university studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the University of South Australia. Since my graduation, I have exhibited my work throughout Australia, and in China, Taiwan, Germany, and Iran, holding 15 solo and more than 40 group exhibitions.

In 1999, I received my first $5000.00 AQ Print prize, in 2003 I received first prize (painting) in the prestigious Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize and in 2008 I was a finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize. During 2008 I was invited to spend three months painting his project on peace, the environment, and children on the walls of caves in Dunhuang, China. In 2009 I was finalist for the Celeste International Art Prize in Berlin. I was invited to exhibit as part of the 2009/2010 Animamix Biennial at the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei. In 2009, I exhibited in Niavaran Art Foundation and in Arya gallery in Tehran.

 The long process of painting images is accompanied by some joyous moments of accomplishment, self-realization, and life appreciation.