Art Background

I was born in Iran, Isfahan. A city that is famous for being the beating heart of Iranian art from centuries ago. At the age of eleven, I took up painting as a pastime without focusing on any particular style. When I was fourteen painting became my greatest passion. I started learning academic principles and methods of drawing and painting at private classes during high school. Later on, I studied impressionism with Mohammad Reza Atashzad, a well renowned watercolor painter. After four wonderful years, this inclination towards impressionism was then replaced by a passion for modern art. I started learning principles of modern painting and I created expressionist and cubist artwork at private classes held by Mahmud Samandarian. Then I took classes with Gholamhosssein Nami, one of the leaders of Iranian modern painting. I began experimenting with mixed media and exploring the fascinating world of abstract painting. My art was deeply influenced by this era that took four years.

Messy room, Pastel,50cm by 70 cm
Messy room, Pastel, 1999

I also studied literature and calligraphy for years. I used to write poems, I still do occasionally. In my artwork I often make use of handwriting, mostly I write poems eithr by famous poets or any spontaneous poems from my own, anything that describes the moment and the feeling that I want to express. Many of my paintings was inspired  by The Fish, a poem by Ahmad Shamlou. I called them “Mirror Pond Collection”. Following is an excerpt of the poem:

“Oh certainty gone astray,

oh runaway fish in the ponds of slippery mirror within mirror!

I am a clear lagoon;

now through the enchantment of love,

find a path from the mirror-ponds to me!”

Mirror pools collection3, 20cm by 30 cm
Mirror Pond Collection_I, Water-colour, 1999
Mirror pools collection4,20cm by 30 cm
Mirror Pond Collection_ II, Water-colour, 1999
Mirror pools collection2,Pastel,35cm by 50cm
Mirror Pond Collection_III, Pastel, 2000
Mirror pools collection1,Pastel,35cm by 50 cm
Mirror Pond Collection_IV, Pastel, 2001

Since after, I became extremely keen in collage. I deeply believe that collage is one of the most creative forms and techniques in modern art: using pre-existing materials or objects to create something else, in most cases something totally different. I have created collages of Persian music instruments inspired by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque cubist colleagues.

Kamancheh,Pastel,35cm by 50cm
Kamanche, A Persian musical Instrument, Pastel, 2002
Setar,Watercolor,35cm by 50cm
Sitar, A persian Musical Instrument, Water-colour, 2002
Untiteled,Collage,70cm by 100cm
Collage, Mixed-media, 2004
Modernization Insanity,Collage,70cm by 100cm
Modernization Insanity, Collage, Mixed-media, 2004

Currently, I am interested in using materials that has been less used in collage. In 2009, I started experimenting with knitting material. My inspiration was my beloved grandmother who used to weave and knit for us with so much love and passion. These artwork got into a juried exhibition in 2010.

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In Memory of my grandma Collection_I, Collage, Mixed-media, 2010
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In memory of my grandma, II, Collage, Mixed-media, 2010
Narges_painting
Collage, Mixed-media, 2010

Some of my older Paintings:

17,Watercolor,35cm by 50cm
Watercolour, 1998
12,Watercolor,35cm by 50cm
Watercolour, 1998
Ink-1,30cm by 70cm
Ink, 1996
Abianeh,Kashan,Iran,Oil,50cm by 70cm
Acrylic, 1993

Exhibitions:

  • 2010, Engineering got talent, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
  • 2010, Group exhibition in Cost collective gallery (Abstraction), Victoria, Canada
  • 2005, Individual exhibition in Museum of Contemporary Art of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
  • 2004, Group exhibition in Atashzad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
  • 2004, Group exhibition in University of ‘Sanate Ab va Bargh’ Tehran, Iran
  • 2003, Group exhibition in Atashzad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
  • 2002, Group exhibition in Atashzad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
  • 2002, Individual exhibition in Daryabeygi Gallery, Tehran, Iran
  • 2001, Group exhibition in Haft Peykar Gallery, Tehran, Iran
  • 2000, Group exhibition in Kosar gallery, Isfahan, Iran
  • 1996, Group exhibition of engineering students of Iran in ‘Elm and Sanaat’ University, Tehran, Iran

Awards:

  • 2010, Engineering Got Talent (for the fine art exhibition), University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
  • 1998, Teaching Drawing Principles at Azad University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
  • 1996, 2nd position in the National Competition of Calligraphy, Engineering Students’ of Iran
  • 1995, 3nd position in the National Competition of Calligraphy, Engineering Students’ of Iran