Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam, an Iranian modernist painter and sculptor, was born in 1924 in Tehran. At the age of sixteen, he began painting with oil colors for the first time, and during his youth, he pursued academic training in painting. Although he faced financial hardship during his years at art school, his path in life gradually became smoother. His first solo exhibition was held in 1952 at the Iran-America Society in Tehran. In 1955, he traveled to Italy and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where he learned new approaches to art and gradually developed his own distinctive style. A few years later, he returned to Iran and from 1969 to 1976 taught at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. Vaziri-Moghaddam spent his final years in Italy and passed away in Rome in 2018. He was one of the most prominent figures among the second generation of Iranian modern painters, creating numerous works with a modernist approach and striving to pass this vision on to future generations. By employing innovative and unique techniques, he produced artworks that introduced a new perspective on modern art in Iran. For example, his series of paintings made with black sand on wood and canvas established a new style in Iranian art—one that became synonymous with his name. This modern outlook was also reflected in his other creations, such as his large wooden kinetic sculptures, which demonstrated his deep engagement with form, movement, and modern artistic experimentation.
1924 – Born in Tehran, Iran
1943 – Began studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran
1946 – Received diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts, Tehran
1952 – Solo exhibition, Iran-America Society, Tehran
1953 – Solo exhibition, Iran-America Society, Tehran
1955 – Began studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome
1955 – Moved to Italy
1957 – Exhibition, Stenzel Gallery, Munich
1957 – Awarded the Mayor of Rome Prize at the 7th International Via Margutta Art Foundation Exhibition, Rome
1957 – Exhibition, Brook Gallery, Düsseldorf
1958 – Won Third Prize, “Via Margutta” Award
1958 – Exhibition “Fusion of Eastern and Western Elements,” Schneider Gallery, Rome
1958 – Received Bronze Medal and Certificate of Honor
1961 – Awarded Gold Medal by the Senate of Rome, Ancona
1961 – Solo exhibition “Recent Sand Works,” Numero Gallery, Italy
1962 – Group exhibition, Redfern Gallery, London
1962 – Received Gold Medal and Certificate of Honor at the Tehran Biennial
1962 – Awarded at the 31st Venice Biennale for “Black Sand Painting”
1962 – Received Gold Medal from the Italian Senate
1962 – Won Third Prize at the Tehran Biennial
1963 – Exhibition “Latest Sand Paintings,” George Lester Gallery, Rome
1963 – Solo exhibition, Seihoun Gallery, Tehran
1963 – Participated in the 4th International Art Biennial, “Beyond Informal,” Republic of San Marino
1964 – Exhibition, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
1964 – Began teaching as a professor at the Faculty of Decorative Arts and the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran
1969 – Exhibition, Shiraz Arts Festival, Shiraz
1969 – Created three-dimensional artworks including wooden sculptures
1971 – Solo exhibition “Transitional Forms,” wooden sculptures, Iran-America Society, Tehran
1973 – Solo exhibition, Kayhan International, Tehran
1973 – Solo exhibition “Ten Years of Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam,” Seihoun Gallery, Tehran
1974 – Solo exhibition “Articulated Sculptures,” Lito Art Gallery, Tehran
1975 – Solo exhibition “A Retrospective: Works 1955–1975,” organized by the Ministry of Culture and Art, Takht Jamshid Gallery, Tehran
1975 – Solo exhibition “Paradise,” Seihoun Gallery, Tehran
1977 – Solo exhibition, Goethe Institute, Tehran
1977 – Solo exhibition, Santoro Gallery, Rome
1978 – Art Fair, International Art Basel, Basel
1980 – Solo exhibition, Karteh Gallery, Tehran
1984 – Solo exhibition “A Retrospective: Works 1953–1983,” Green House Gallery, Tehran
1985 – Moved to Rome
1985 – Solo exhibition, Italian Cultural Institute, Tehran
1986 – Solo exhibition, Italian Cultural Center, Tehran
1993 – Solo exhibition, Barg Gallery, Tehran
1994 – Solo exhibition, Barg Gallery, Tehran
2001 – Group exhibition “Contemporary Iranian Art,” curated by Rose Issa, Barbican Centre, London
2003 – Participated in “Palestine: The Key to Culture and Peace,” Ancona
2003 – Solo exhibition “A Retrospective,” Seihoun Gallery, Tehran
2004 – Lecture “The Relationship Between Teacher and Students in Iran and the World,” Islamic Cultural Center, Sari
2004 – Participated in the 31st Solmona Award
2004 – Solo exhibition “The Fourth Exhibition of Iranian Modern Art Pioneers,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
2005 – Named “European Personality of the Year”
2005 – Solo exhibition, Shiveh Gallery, Shiraz
2005 – Solo exhibition “Collection of Paintings,” Asia Gallery, Tehran
2005 – Solo exhibition “Sand Paintings from 1960,” Hoor Art Gallery, Tehran
2006 – Solo exhibition, Day Gallery, Tehran
2006 – Solo exhibition, Parvaz Gallery, Yazd University of Art, Yazd
2006 – Solo exhibition, Hoor Art Gallery, Tehran
2007 – Group exhibition “Six Weeks of Iranian Art,” Toronto
2007 – Solo exhibition “Sand Paintings,” Arte D’Av Gallery, Florence
2008 – Solo exhibition, Azad Art Designers Gallery, Tehran
2008 – Solo exhibition “A Tribute to Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam: A Bridge Between East and West,” curated by Alberto Melarangelo, Teramo
2009 – Exhibition “Sand Paintings,” Studio Plano, Venice
2009 – Solo exhibition, Elaheh Gallery, Tehran
2009 – Solo exhibition “Collage,” Hoor Art Gallery, Tehran
2010 – Solo exhibition “250 Works,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Ahvaz
2011 – Solo exhibition “Selected Works of Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam,” Forouhar Gallery, Tehran
2012 – Solo exhibition “Galaxy Series and Early Paintings from 1959,” Azad Art Designers Gallery, Tehran
2014 – Art Fair, Art 14, London
2014 – Solo exhibition, Azad Art Designers Gallery, Tehran
2014 – Solo exhibition “Intuition of Color: Recent Works by Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam,” Khak Gallery, Tehran
2015 – Art Dubai, Etemad Gallery, Dubai
2018 – Abu Dhabi Art Fair, Setareh Gallery, Abu Dhabi
2018 – Solo exhibition “Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam: Iranian Pioneer of Modern Abstract Art,” Setareh Gallery, Berlin
2019 – Affordable Art Fair, Nian Gallery, Milan
2021 – Group exhibition “Collector 8,” Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2021 – Solo exhibition “A Retrospective of Mohsen Vaziri-Moghaddam,” Sotheby’s, London
2023 – Group exhibition “The Modern Collector,” Artibition Gallery, Tehran
2024 – Group exhibition “A Collection,” Dastan+2 Gallery, Tehran
2025 – Group exhibition “Charsou,” Artibition Gallery, Tehran
