For Display
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Ahmad Esfandiari, a first-generation modernist artist in Iran, was born in 1922 in Tehran. His parents were of Mazandarani descent and relatives of Nima Yooshij (Ali Esfandiari). As a child, he studied painting under Mohammad Heydarian, and as a teenager, under one of Kamal-ol-Molk’s students. In 1945, he entered the Faculty of Fine Arts. In 1949, Esfandiari participated in a group exhibition organized by the Iran-France Association alongside Mehdi Vishkaei, Mahmoud Javadipour, and Hossein Kazemi, and he played a role in founding the Apadana Gallery. His works were showcased in five editions of the Tehran Painting Biennial, the first Tehran International Exhibition, and the group exhibition Contemporary Art of Iran: From the Beginning to the Present at the Iran-America Society in 1975. Since then, he has taken part in numerous exhibitions and is regarded as one of the most established figures in modern Iranian art. Ahmad Esfandiari’s paintings, stylistically influenced by European modernism—especially Impressionism—are known for their pure color palettes and play of light and shadow. Nevertheless, his works consistently depict themes drawn from traditional settings, nature, and the people of Iran. He is also referred to as “the painter of blues,” as many of his nature-centric works are painted in shades of blue. This color is also prominently featured in his paintings of temples and domes. Ahmad Esfandiari passed away in 2012.
Artistic Background
1958 (1337)
• Participated in the first Tehran Biennial
1960 (1339)
• Participated in the second Tehran Biennial, Iran
1964 (1343)
• Participated in the fourth Tehran Biennial, Iran
1994 (1373)
• Group exhibition, Tehran, Iran
2013 (1392)
• Passed away
:Posthumous Exhibitions
2015 (1394)
• Group exhibition, Annual Amordad Exhibition, Afrand Gallery, Tehran
• Senior Visual Artists Exhibition, Art Center II Gallery, Tehran
2016 (1395)
• Group exhibition, Amordad, Afrand Gallery, Tehran
2017 (1396)
• Group exhibition, "+95", Afrand Gallery, Tehran
• Solo exhibition, Art Center (Bagh) Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "96+", Afrand Gallery, Tehran
2018 (1397)
• Group exhibition, "Free Sale", Azad Art Designers Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "The Glory of Art 2", Shokouh Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "300,000 to 3 Million", Negar Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "The Collector", Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2019 (1398)
• Group exhibition, "10 - 20 - 30", Azad Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "Borderless Era", Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2020 (1399)
• Group exhibition, "Person to Person", Azad Art Designers Gallery, Tehran
2021 (1400)
• Group exhibition, "The Collector 8", Artibition Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "Liam Collection", Liam Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "The Tenth Collector", Artibition Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "Opportunity", Iranian Artists Forum, Tehran
2022 (1401)
• Group exhibition, "Resize", Artibition Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "Essay–Search", Oks Homa, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "Modern Collector", Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2023 (1402)
• Group exhibition, "Contemporary Artists Selection", Art Center, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "Standing in Memory", Sohrab Gallery, Tehran
• Group exhibition, "Viewpoint Perspective", E1 Gallery, Tehran
2024 (1403)
• Group exhibition, "Doubt or No Doubt", Sharif Gallery, Tehran
