For Display
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Mehdi Sahabi (b. 1943) was an Iranian painter, sculptor, and writer. He studied for two years at the School of Decorative Arts. In 1967, he went to Italy, where he completed a filmmaking course and studied painting for about a year at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. After a period in France, he returned to Iran in 1971 and devoted his time to journalism and literary translation. Later, Sahabi turned to painting, holding his first solo exhibition in 1990 at Golestan Gallery. Despite his literary interests, he emphasized the quality of visual form in his artworks. He began painting in the late 1980s, initially depicting scrapped cars. Over time, he explored various painting techniques, collage-like reliefs, and assemblages featuring motifs such as masks and birds, gradually moving toward abstraction. His works are characterized by vibrant colors, a playful and optimistic outlook, and a deep attachment to life. Over his roughly three-decade artistic career, Sahabi created numerous works across painting, sculpture, and photography. He was also a renowned translator, bringing major literary works from French and Italian into Persian, most notably Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. Mehdi Sahabi passed away in 2009.
Born, 1943, Qazvin, Iran
Education
1967, Studied Cinema in Italy, then Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts, Rome
Solo Exhibitions
2025, Recovered Time, with Manouchehr Safarzadeh,
Mojdeh Gallery, Tehran
2024, Wall Ironies, Mojdeh Gallery, Tehran
2021, A Retrospective of Mahdi Sahabi’s Works, Tehran Museum of
Contemporary Art, Tehran
2019, Solo exhibition commemorating the 10th anniversary of Mahdi Sahabi’s
passing, Farmanfarma Gallery, Tehran
2018, Beloved Scraps, Atbin Gallery, Tehran
2017, Mahdi Sahabi’s Unseen Works, Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran
2009, Solo exhibition, Dey Gallery, Tehran
2009, Solo exhibition, Golestan Gallery, Tehran
2006, Solo exhibition, Arya Gallery, Tehran
1993, Solo exhibition, Golestan Gallery, Tehran
1992, Solo exhibition, Golestan Gallery, Tehran
1990, Solo exhibition, Golestan Gallery, Tehran
Group Exhibitions
2025, 580 Nanometers / Yellow, Artibition Gallery
2024, Decades Project | 1950s–1940s, Ev Gallery, Tehran
2024, Form and Figure, Ev Gallery, Tehran
2024, Abstract Illusions, Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2024, Doubt or No Doubt, Sharif Gallery, Tehran
2023, Group exhibition, Nian Gallery, Tehran
2023, Selected Works from 70 Years of Iranian Sculpture, Art Center,
Tehran
2022, Modern Collector, Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2022, Resize, Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2021, 30 Sculptures, 30 Sculptors, Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2021, Along Iraj, Iraj Zand Foundation, Tehran
2021, I Am, What I See, Mojdeh Gallery, Tehran
2019, Flower Walk, Sarvenaz Gallery, Shiraz
2019, 10–20–30, Tarahan-e Azad Gallery, Tehran
2018, Free Sale, Tarahan-e Azad Gallery, Tehran
2018, Summer Exhibition, Mah Gallery, Tehran
2018, 6th International Art for Peace Festival, Pardis Mellat, Tehran
2017, Group exhibition marking the 2nd anniversary of Negar Gallery, Negar
Gallery, Tehran
2017, From Where to Where 2, Sales Gallery, Tehran
2015, Retrospective group exhibition of the late Mahdi Sahabi’s works, Art
Center Gallery, Tehran
2014, Faces, Hoor Gallery, Tehran
2011, 100 Works by 100 Artists, Golestan Gallery, Tehran
2010, Ear of Van Gogh, Gallery 10, Tehran
2009, From Past to Tomorrow, Dey Gallery, Tehran
2009, Ear of Van Gogh, Gallery 10, Tehran
2008, 100 Works by 100 Artists, Golestan Gallery, Tehran
2007, Haft Negah, Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran
