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Jalal Shabahangi, a graphic designer, painter, and sculptor, was born in 1935 in Tehran. He graduated with a degree in Graphic Design from San Jose State University in California. From 1968 to 2002, Shabahangi was a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts and also taught at other universities such as Sooreh and Shariati during this period. Shabahangi is considered a naturalist artist, with most of his works characterized by flat surfaces, gentle rhythms, and curvilinear lines. He held his first exhibition in 1970 at the University of California, Berkeley, and his second in 1972 at the Ghandeer Gallery in Tehran. In his works, the three elements of garden, plain, and tree appear as recurring motifs that embody rhythm and structure, the fusion of the representational and the abstract, vertical and horizontal relationships, and the balance between positive and negative space. He is best known for his vivid and well-composed depictions of natural landscapes—rolling hills and scattered trees in the distance—which evoke the desert regions of Iran. A strong commitment to a distinctive method and expressive language is one of the hallmarks of his artistic identity. Jalal Shabahangi passed away on August 17, 2023.
Education and Academic Activities
Graduate in Graphic Design from San Jose State University, California
1968–2002: Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran
Solo and Group Exhibitions
1960s–1970s
1970: Solo exhibition, University of California, Berkeley, USA
1972: Solo exhibition, Ghandriz Gallery, Tehran
1974: Solo exhibition, Zerwan Gallery, Tehran
1975: Solo exhibition, San Jose State University, California, USA
1978: Solo exhibition, University of Tehran
1980s–1990s
1984: Group exhibition, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
1989: Solo exhibition, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
1991: Participation in the Iranian Painters Biennial, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
1996: Solo exhibition, Bushehri Gallery, Tehran
1997: Solo exhibition, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
1998: Solo exhibition, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
1999: Solo exhibition, Faramarzi Gallery, Tehran
2000s–2010s
2001–2010: Various exhibitions (no specific titles mentioned)
2014:
Group exhibition “Barren Land,” Faramarzi Gallery
Solo exhibition of Jalal Shabahangi’s paintings, Ariana Gallery
2010s
2016–2020:
Participation in numerous group exhibitions including:
Honar Emrooz Gallery (“Between Two Days”)
Khat-e Sefid Gallery
Sar-zamin-e Honar Gallery
Solouk Gallery
Shorveh Gallery
Negar Gallery
Artibition Gallery
Mah Gallery
Azad Gallery
2021:
Solo exhibition, “A Review of Jalal Shabahangi’s Works,” Risheh 29, Tehran
Participation in over 10 group exhibitions at galleries including:
Saaleth Gallery
Honar Design Gallery
Liam Gallery
Negah Gallery
Iran Artists Forum
Gallery H
2022:
Group exhibitions at:
Iran Artists Forum (“Imagine”)
Artibition Gallery (“Resize,” “Modernism Collector”)
Oks Homa Gallery (“Essay-Exploration”)
Ella Gallery (“Treasure 1”)
Guyeh Gallery (“Lotfi; Intersection of Celebrities 2”)
2023–Present (Posthumous)
2023:
Participation in memorial group exhibitions at:
Liam Gallery (“Treasure 3”)
Artibition Gallery
Art Center
Sohrab Gallery
Atbin Gallery
Shovadon Gallery (Shushtar)
Negah Gallery
2024:
Solo exhibition, “7 Works,” Liam Gallery
Participation in numerous group exhibitions at:
Artibition Gallery
Sohrab Gallery
Javid Gallery
2025:
Participation in group exhibitions at:
Bashgah Gallery (“Continuation of the Whiteness of Day”)
Eve Gallery (“And Again, Awakening”)
Nian Gallery (“Recovery / Seventh Series”)
