Farshid Maleki

Farshid Maleki (b. 1943, Tehran) is a painter from the second generation of Iranian modern artists. He became interested in painting from childhood and began his formal art education at the Kamal-ol-Molk Art School. In 1969, he completed his B.A. in Graphic Design at the Faculty of Decorative Arts (now University of Art, Tehran). Shortly after, he traveled to London for a three-month study program organized by the Iranian National Television to gain familiarity with British television, and he continued his art studies there. Around the time of the 1979 Revolution, he earned his postgraduate degree in Painting from the University of Reading, UK, and subsequently returned to Iran. Maleki has taught at Farabi University, Alzahra University, and Islamic Azad University, and was a faculty member at the University of Art in Tehran. He has exhibited widely in Iran and abroad, collaborating with notable Iranian galleries such as Golestan, Arya, Hoor, Emkan, and Tarahan Azad. Invited by Rouin Pakbaz, he joined Talare Iran (Iran Gallery) and held his first solo exhibition there in 1968. His second solo exhibition was presented at Ghandriz Gallery in 1973. Critic Marcos Grigorian (Eslahoss?) compared his works of that period to African totems in an article for Kayhan. In later years, Maleki abandoned totemic imagery and distanced himself from currents aligned with national identity and “Neo-Traditionalism.” Unlike many of his contemporaries, his works lack the conventional borrowings from Iranian artistic heritage. Maleki began his career with abstract works, experimenting with unfamiliar materials and techniques. What has brought him wide recognition in more recent years, however, is his turn toward figurative and highly personal painting, which has also been well received by the public. In these works, he presents figures from multiple viewpoints within a single composition, challenging our perception of the horizon line, and juxtaposes human forms with animals to articulate his worldview and themes. Art critic Iman Afsarian describes Maleki as “one of the few Iranian painters who has boldly changed his style multiple times.” Fereydoun Ghafari, in discussing the contrast between Maleki’s early and late periods, states: “Perhaps one could say that Maleki’s later drawings correspond more to his inner needs, without any consideration of external demands. Some artists work purely from within, regardless of prevailing trends, while others align themselves more with external conditions. In Maleki’s case, one can see this very difference—or shift in perspective—between his early and recent works.”