Online
Masoud Arabshahi, painter and sculptor, was born in 1935 (1314 SH) in Tehran, Iran. With a distinctive approach apart from the mainstream art movements of his time, Arabshahi explored a modernist engagement with tradition. From 1956 to 1959 (1335–1338 SH), he studied at the School of Fine Arts in Tehran. He later worked for the Department of Fine Arts and, during that period, learned techniques of clay and glaze in the department’s ceramic workshops. Between 1961 and 1968 (1340–1347 SH), Arabshahi completed his Bachelor’s degree in Painting and Master’s degree in Interior Architecture at the Faculty of Decorative Arts. As part of a collaboration with the Urban Development Organization of the Ministry of Interior, he participated in the mapping of historical monuments in Hamedan. He also adorned the walls of the conference hall of the Red Lion and Sun building in Tehran’s Arg Square with ceramic reliefs. Arabshahi’s early works are associated with the Saqqakhaneh movement, an Iranian neo-traditionalist art trend that merged modern aesthetics with symbols and motifs drawn from Shiite popular art and ancient Iranian visual culture. His deep attention to symbolic elements, pictorial motifs, and the formal characteristics of ancient and classical Iranian art distinguished him from other neo-traditionalist artists. He held his first solo exhibition in 1962 (1341 SH) at the Iran-India Cultural Association. Arabshahi was an active member of the Ghandriz Gallery and the Group of Independent Painters and Sculptors. His works have been shown widely in Iran and abroad. His first appearance at an international auction took place in May 2006 (1385 SH) at Christie’s.
Born in 1935 (1314 SH), Tehran
Education and Training
1956 – Entered Art School, learning drawing techniques, color theory, and art analysis
1959 – Graduated from the Boys’ School of Fine Arts
1968 – Master’s degree in Architecture, Faculty of Decorative Arts, Tehran
Solo Exhibitions
1962 – Iran-India Cultural Center, Tehran
1964 – India Art Center, Tehran
1965 – University of Tehran, Tehran
1968 – Modern Iranian Art: From Past to Present, Iran-America Society, Tehran
1969 – Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran
1970 – Modern Iranian Art: From Past to Present, Iran-America Society, Tehran
1971 – Negar Gallery, Tehran
1975 – Blue, Takht-e Jamshid Gallery, Tehran
1977 – Saman Gallery, Tehran
1993 – Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran
1994 – Golestan Gallery, Tehran
1996 – California Architects Association, California, USA
2000 – Golestan Gallery, Tehran
2001 – Museum of Contemporary Art Iran, Tehran
2002 – Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
2003 – Arian Gallery, Tehran
2006 – Mah Gallery, Tehran
2007 – Mah Gallery, Tehran
2016 – Iranshahr Gallery, Tehran
2020 – Paintings by Mostafa Dashti, Hasht Cheshmeh Art Space, Kashan
Group Exhibitions
1986 – Calligraphy, Aftab House, Tehran
1967 – Solstice Gallery, Paris
1968 – Contemporary Artists, United States
1991 – Parkway, London, United Kingdom
2000 – In collaboration with Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Yahya Ravaq Gallery, Tunisia
2020 – One by One, Azad Designers Gallery, Tehran
2021 – Collector 8, Artibition, Tehran
2021 – Color Dynamism, Hame Gallery, Tehran
2022 – Modern Collector, Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2023 – From Coffeehouse to Saqakhaneh and Selected Artists of Iranian Modernism, Laleh Gallery, Tehran
2024 – Nine Works by Iranian Artists, Bavan Gallery and Cromwell Place, London
2025 – Charsoo, Artibition Gallery, Tehran
Art Fairs / Special Projects
1963 – Began engraving on metal and plaster
1964 – Winner, Ministry of Culture and Art Award, 4th Tehran Biennial
1965 – Participated in Paris Biennale
1972 – First Prize, Public Sculpture Decoration Competition, Farahabad Park, Tehran
1973 – Winner, Monaco International Exhibition Award
1973 – Art Fair, Monaco World Exhibition
1976 – Art Fair, Art Basel, Switzerland
1983 – Art Fair, International Art Exhibition, Paris
1984 – Created an aluminum sculpture for the front yard of California Insurance Company, Sacramento
1982 – Migrated to France
1984 – Migrated to the United States
1986 – Participated in Art Expo Los Angeles
1992 – Returned to Iran
