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Behjat Sadr was a painter born in 1924 in Arak, Iran. She is regarded as one of the pioneers of abstract painting in Iran and a prominent figure in the development of contemporary modern art in the country. Sadr began her artistic training in 1947 under the mentorship of Ali-Asghar Petgar and entered the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran the following year. She graduated at the top of her class in 1954 and, in 1956, received a scholarship to continue her studies in Italy. She studied at the “Roberto Melli” Academy and later at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, while also participating in several group exhibitions across Italy. Her first solo exhibition was held in 1956 at Galleria Pincio in Rome, and that same year she took part in the Venice Biennale. In 1959, Sadr returned to Iran and began teaching at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran. After more than two decades of teaching, she retired in 1980 and emigrated to France. Among her most notable honors are the first prize at the Third Tehran Biennale and the UNESCO Award in the "Fight Against Illiteracy" art competition in 1967. In 2004, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art held a major retrospective as part of the “Pioneers of Iranian Modern Art” series, showcasing works from various periods of her career. Behjat Sadr passed away in 2009 on the island of Corsica, in southern France.
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Artistic Career
1320 (1941) – Began studying art at college
1326 (1947) – Joined Ali-Asghar Petgar’s studio as a painting student
1330–1333 (1951–1954) – Studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran
1333 (1954) – Graduated top of her class; awarded for her graduation project “Emamzadeh”
1334 (1955) – Received scholarships to study in Italy and France
1335 (1956) – Moved to Italy and enrolled at the Naples Academy of Fine Arts
1335 – Participated in the 28th Venice Biennale; won the silver award in San Vito Romano
1335 – Met Roberto Melli; registered at the Rome Academy of Fine Arts
1337 (1958) – Graduated from Naples Academy of Fine Arts; held her first solo exhibition “Pardis” at Galleria Bussola, Rome
1337 (1959) – Returned to Tehran
1338 (1959) – Participated in a group exhibition at Palazzo Brancaccio, Rome
1339 (1960) – Began teaching at University of Tehran as an Associate Professor
1341 (1962) – Awarded the Royal Grand Prize at the Tehran Biennale; participated in Venice and São Paulo Biennales; exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
1342 (1963) – Exhibited at Borghese Gallery, Tehran; group shows in Paris including Galerie Campezzone and Musée d’Art Moderne
1343 (1964) – Participated in the 4th Tehran Painting Biennale; group exhibition “Contemporary Iranian Art” at Musée d’Orsay, Paris
1345 (1966) – Settled in Montparnasse and studied under Gustave Singier during sabbatical
1346 (1967) – Won UNESCO Prize for “Fight Against Illiteracy”; solo show “Pardeh Arrangement” at Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran; group exhibition at Cannes-sur-Mer, France
1347 (1968) – Returned to Tehran
International & Domestic Activities (1350–1388 / 1971–2009)
1350 (1971) – Works acquired by the Grey Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota, increasing her recognition in the U.S.
1352–1354 (1973–1975) – Group exhibitions in Brussels, Paris, Cité Internationale des Arts, and Sirus Gallery, Paris
1355 (1976) – Participated in Art Basel
1356 (1977) – Solo show at Goethe Institute, Tehran; exhibited works inspired by Isfahan's Grand Mosque
1358 (1979) – Emigrated to France during the Iranian Revolution
1360–1363 (1981–1984) – Registered as a professional artist in France; had several exhibitions across Paris and Pasadena
1364–1366 (1985–1987) – Solo exhibitions in Arras and Paris; group exhibitions in Avignon, Washington D.C., and Paris
1368 (1989) – Group show “Between Walls and Sky” at UNESCO House, Paris
Return to the Iranian & Global Art Scene (1370–)
1371–1373 (1992–1994) – Exhibitions at Columbia University, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, and Niavaran Cultural Center
1379 (2000) – Participated in the First Islamic World Painting Biennale at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
1380–1382 (2001–2003) – Exhibited in New York, Tehran, and Paris
1383 (2004) – Retrospective at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in “Pioneers of Modern Iranian Art” series
1386 (2007) – Featured in group exhibitions of contemporary Iranian art
1388 (2009) – Passed away in Corsica, France; posthumous group show "14/21: Contemporary Art of Iran" at Kiron Espace, Paris
Posthumous Exhibitions & Art Fairs (1390–1404 / 2011–2025)
1393–1395 (2015–2017) – Solo shows “Trace through the Black” at Ab-Anbar & Aria Gallery, Tehran
1397 (2018) – Solo exhibition “Dusted Waters” at Mosaic Rooms, London
1398 (2019) – Participated in Frieze New York, FIAC Paris, and multiple group shows in Tehran and Paris
1400–1401 (2021–2022) – Exhibited at Gallery Thaleth, Leila Heller (Dubai), O Gallery (Tehran), Balice Hertling (Paris), and Whitechapel Gallery (London)
1402 (2023) – Solo show at Institute of Arab and Islamic Art, New York; featured at Frieze New York and The Armory Show, NY
1403–1404 (2024–2025) – Group exhibitions in Tehran galleries (+2, Far, O, Artibition, Karshio, Javid) and participation at Frieze New York via Dastan Gallery
