Davoud Kouchaki

Davoud Koochaki, an outsider artist, was born in 1939 in Rasht, Iran. He is considered one of the most distinctive figures in contemporary self-taught art. Much of Koochaki’s life was spent working in mechanical workshops—an experience that shaped the darkness, density, and haunting atmosphere of his works. Without any formal education, he occasionally drew during middle age, but it was only after his retirement, at the age of 65, that he began his artistic practice in earnest. At this point, his visual unconscious flowed directly and boldly onto paper. All of Koochaki’s works were created using pencil and graphite, a dedication that earned him the nickname “the Pencil Man.” His drawings often depict singular figures that resist repetition, suspended between human and animal forms. The works possess a grotesque, fantastical, and highly expressive quality. Koochaki’s work was discovered and introduced by Ali Zakari and Morteza Zahedi, and from 2018 onward his presence in group exhibitions, followed by international presentations, became firmly established. His works have been shown at major art fairs such as Frieze New York and Drawing Now Paris, and are currently held in significant public collections, including the Art Brut Collection in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the American Folk Art Museum in the United States. Davoud Koochaki passed away in 2020.