Artists & Painters

Canvas, calligraphy and sculpture — Iranian visual art weaving tradition with modern vision.

14 entries

Behzad Heravi — Kamal al-Din Behzad, master of Persian miniature painting, elevated manuscript art into emotional storytelling. His works defined the aesthetic of the Herat and Safavid schools.

Reza Abbasi — The leading painter of the Safavid era, Reza Abbasi revolutionized Persian art with delicate linework and human intimacy, moving beyond court formality into personal expression.

Ali Qoli Jabbadar — A Safavid painter who combined European and Persian elements, Jabbadar was among the first Iranian artists to explore perspective and secular subjects.

Mirza Agha Emami — A master of Nastaliq calligraphy and decorative art, Emami preserved Persian aesthetics during the turbulent Qajar era, influencing generations of artisans.

Sohrab Sepehri — Known both as a poet and painter, Sepehri infused his minimalist landscapes with Zen-like serenity, blending Eastern mysticism and modern abstraction.

Mohammad Ehsai — A pioneer of calligraphic modernism, Mohammad Ehsai transformed Persian script into visual abstraction — uniting word, color, and motion in contemporary art.

Parviz Tanavoli — Founder of the Saqqakhaneh movement, Tanavoli’s sculptures and 'Heech' series merge Iranian spiritual symbols with modernist minimalism.

Iran Darroudi — A surrealist painter of ethereal light, Darroudi’s cosmic imagery reflected nostalgia, exile, and timeless beauty — a dialogue between memory and dream.

Mansour Ghandriz — A co-founder of the Ghandriz Gallery, Mansour blended Persian motifs with Western abstraction, shaping Tehran’s modern art scene before his untimely death.

Houshang Pezeshknia — One of Iran’s early modernists, Pezeshknia captured realism and psychological depth in his portraits, bridging European training with Persian emotion.

Shirin Neshat — Shirin Neshat explores gender, exile, and identity through photography and film. Her powerful black-and-white portraits give voice to silenced women.

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian — Monir Farmanfarmaian’s mirrored mosaics and geometric abstractions revived the essence of Iranian sacred geometry within contemporary sculpture and design.

Aydin Aghdashloo — Aghdashloo’s detailed paintings blend nostalgia and decay. As both creator and critic, he bridges Persian classicism with postmodern reflection.

Y.Z. Kami — Y.Z. Kami’s large-scale portraits radiate introspection and stillness, evoking universal spirituality rooted in Persian culture.