Painter of Iranian deserts displays new collection in Tehran

TEHRAN – Veteran artist Jalal Shabahangi, who has spent over two decades of his life creating paintings depicting the beauty and tranquility of Iranian deserts, is currently displaying his latest collection “Plains and Deserts” at Tehran’s Aryana Gallery. 

 

The collection contains 31 works, which focus on the deserts near the towns of Kashan and Natanz in the central province of Isfahan.

 

The works have been created over the past six years, Shabahangi, 80, said during the opening ceremony of the exhibit on Monday.

 

“I have spent a lot of time in these two areas and made many rough sketches. My own experience was achieving peace and calmness, and I tried to reflect that in my paintings,” he added.

 

He continued, “I believe if I have been able to reflect the peace of the deserts to visitors, I have been able to portray the real spirit and identity of a desert.

 

“In addition, I have tried to make use of peaceful colors without seeing the figure of a man in any paintings. Since I think when one is experiencing absolute silence, even a blade of grass can play the role of a man in the painting,” he explained.

 

Art expert and former director of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art Alireza Sami-Azar, who visited the exhibit, called the paintings by Shabahangi metaphors for his love of the homeland.

 

“Shabahangi has been working on his series of deserts over the past 20 years. He portrays his outlook towards life in the deserts with the help of curves usually observed in the desert area of Iran,” he explained.

 

“The colors, which may not seem to be realistic, reflect the peace in nature,” he added.

 

Born in 1935, Jalal Shabahangi is a graduate of graphic design from San José State University in California and has been teaching visual arts for the past thirty years in Iran.

 

His exhibit “Plains and Deserts” will run until February 5 in the gallery located at 9 East Maryam St., in the Elahieh neighborhood. 

 

RM/YAW

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