Abbas Kiarostami

Abbas Kiarostami

Abbas Kiarostami (1940–2016) was a multifaceted artist and one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Iranian culture—a filmmaker, photographer, poet, and graphic designer who, with his unique vision, transcended the boundaries between artistic media and created a distinctive expressive language. He was born in Tehran and completed his studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. Joining the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults marked a turning point in his artistic journey. In the realm of cinema, rather than focusing on complex plots, Kiarostami’s films—such as Where Is the Friend’s House?, Close-Up, and Taste of Cherry—explore themes of meaning, identity, and the human experience. Beyond cinema, photography formed an essential part of his artistic legacy. Series such as Snow White, The Roads, and The Walls reflect his visual and philosophical concerns—minimalistic and contemplative images built from simple elements like empty roads, solitary trees, and misty landscapes. In photography, as in filmmaking, Kiarostami was less concerned with representing reality and more with discovering hidden beauty and meaning within silence and emptiness. He also published impactful works of poetry. Abbas Kiarostami passed away in July 2016 in Paris, but his work continues to inspire generations of artists. His deep vision, distinctive visual language, and emphasis on thoughtful simplicity have secured his place as a globally significant artist deeply rooted in Iranian culture.

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VISUAL ARTS & PHOTOGRAPHY

Solo and Group Exhibitions

1989 Photography Exhibition, Golestan Gallery, Tehran

1995 Exhibition at Case Rosse, Museum of Modern Art, 48th Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland

1996 Exhibition at Royal Poorhouse, Palermo, Italy

2001 Regarding Iranians, Espace Electra, Paris

2001 Center for Contemporary Culture, Barcelona, Spain

2001 French Gallery, Paris

2001 Calderón Seasonal Theater, 46th Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain

2001 Golestan Gallery, Tehran

2001 Sleepers, video installation at the Venice Biennale and in Paris

2001 Group exhibitions in Berlin and Tokyo (with Masaki Miyazako)

2002 Exhibition at the Institute of Foreign Relations, Bonn, Germany

2012 Led professional workshops at the 8th START Youth Film Festival, Baku

2018 Group exhibitions: Art for Peace (Milad Tower, Tehran), Passing Through Time (Cama Gallery, Tehran), Collection Sale 97 (Han Gallery, Shiraz), The Collector (Artibition Gallery, Tehran)

2019 Solo exhibition Journey to the Morning, E1 Gallery, Tehran

2021 Legacy, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art

2021 Rebel, Humorous, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Iranians, Asia Society Museum, New York

2021 I Am What I See, Mojdeh Gallery, Tehran

2021 Artissima Art Fair, represented by Rossi & Rossi (London), Turin

2021 A Rare Collection of Modern Iranian Art, Leila Heller Gallery, Dubai

2021 Edited, Liam Gallery, Tehran

2021 Winter Collection of Veterans 1400, Shirin Gallery, Tehran

2021 Photography Works, Negah Gallery, Tehran

2021 This Pencil Has Color, Javid Gallery, Tehran

2022 Contemporary Iranian Photography: Online Exhibition, Janet Rady Fine Art, London

2023 MIA Art Fair, Milan (represented by Janet Rady Fine Art)

2023 Contemporary Showcase, Hasht Cheshmeh Art Space, Kashan

2024 Zastar, Saless Gallery, Tehran

2024 Cock-a-doodle-doo, Negah Gallery, Tehran

2025 In White, Javid Gallery, Tehran

2025 Poets, Artibition Gallery, Tehran

2025 Iran in Posters, Nicolas Flamel Gallery, Paris

CINEMATIC WORK

Filmmaking

1974 Directed his first short film The Traveler

1987 Directed Where Is the Friend’s Home?

1992 Directed Life, and Nothing More...

1994 Directed Through the Olive Trees

2001 Directed the documentary ABC Africa about the AIDS crisis in Uganda

2002 Wrote and directed Ten

1995 Wrote the screenplay for The White Balloon (directed by Jafar Panahi)

2012 Directed Like Someone in Love

Film Festivals & Awards

1990 Roberto Rossellini Award

1991 Jury Prize, Un Certain Regard section, Cannes Film Festival

1992 Cinema Award of El Cortes

1993 François Truffaut Award

1994 Honored at Cannes for Through the Olive Trees

1995 Pier Paolo Pasolini Award

1995 Federico Fellini Gold Medal

2013 Medal of Honor from the Government of Japan

2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival

2016 Became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars)

Jury Memberships

1993 Jury Member, Cannes Film Festival

1995 Jury Member, Venice Film Festival

2002 Jury Member, Cinéfondation and Short Films, Cannes

2014 Jury President, Cinéfondation and Short Films, Cannes

Special Honors

2012 Close-Up (1990) ranked #42 in BFI’s Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time