For Display
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Vahid Khakdan, painter and illustrator, was born in 1950 in Tehran. He grew up in an artistic family; his father, Valiallah Khakdan, was a pioneer in stage design, and this artistic environment during his childhood helped shape his visual imagination. Khakdan began his formal art education from 1968 to 1971 at the Tehran High School of Fine Arts, and then studied interior architecture at the Faculty of Decorative Arts until 1975. His first solo exhibition was held in 1974 at Siyahoun Gallery and featured abstract works combining prehistoric Iranian motifs with Cubist forms. In 1975, he exhibited his paintings at Qandriz Hall, where a surrealistic atmosphere became evident in his work. Between 1976 and 1983, Khakdan was also involved in supplementary activities such as interior architecture, stage and costume design for theater, cinema, television, and illustrating children’s books. In 1984, he moved to Germany, where, in addition to painting, he continued working as a book illustrator. After a period of abstract painting, Khakdan turned to surrealism in the early 1970s and made still life the central subject of his paintings. Objects such as suitcases, newspapers, bundles of newspapers, dolls, and other items arranged in the corners of a room became recurring elements in his work. Vahid Khakdan passed away in 2025.
Solo Exhibitions
1975: Qandriz Gallery, Tehran
1976: Iran Hall, Tehran
1979: Siyahoun Gallery, Tehran
1981: Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
1985: Berg Fondren, Oberhausen Cultural Center, Germany
1985: Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
1986: Konen Gallery, Oberhausen, Germany
1987: K.14 Cultural Center, Oberhausen, Germany
1988: Mayor’s House Gallery, Essen, Germany
1988: Arka Cultural Workshop, Essen, Germany
1991: E.P. Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany
1992: Kunst Gallery, Cologne, Germany
1995: Poly Print, Wuppertal, Germany
1995: Staatsparkasse Gallery, Oberhausen, Germany
1996: Tifra Art Gallery, Maastricht, Netherlands
1998: V.H.S., Essen, Germany
2001: E.P. Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany
2002: Sindelgrobe, Munich, Germany
2005: Art Prints, Sindelgrobe, Vienna, Austria
2012: Mah Gallery, Tehran
2025: "Silence of Shadows," Mah Gallery, Tehran
Group Exhibitions
1975: "Contemporary Art of Iran," Persepolis State Gallery, Tehran
1977: "Contemporary Art of Iran," Apadana State Gallery, Tehran
1978: "A Portrait of Contemporary Art," Siyahoun Gallery, Tehran
1981: Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
1988: Schloss City Gallery, Oberhausen, Germany
1991: Schloss City Gallery, Oberhausen, Germany
1993: House of Art, Oberhausen, Germany
1993: Art Prints, Art Expo, New York, USA
1994: Art Prints Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
1995: Sabine Loulier, Wuppertal, Germany
1997: Kunstmeile, Oberhausen, Germany
2001: Ludwig Gallery, Oberhausen, Germany
2002: Art House, Frankfurt, Germany
2003: Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
2004: Ludwig Gallery, Oberhausen, Germany
2004: E.P. Gallery, Düsseldorf, Germany
2006: "Iranian Art in the 1960s and 1970s," Faculty of Fine Arts, Tehran
2007: "Seven Views," Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran
2011: First Contemporary Visual Arts Auction, Shirin Gallery, Tehran
2011: "Project Seven," Siyahoun Gallery, Tehran
2011: Faculty of Fine Arts, Museum of Saba, Tehran
2011: Shirin Gallery, Tehran
2012: Freia Gallery, Tehran
2012: Modern and Contemporary Art of Iran, Azadi Hotel, Tehran
2012: Riera Art Gallery, Dubai
2013: Mah Gallery, Tehran
2014: "Feeling of Happiness," Homa Gallery, Tehran
2014: "Zoo," Shirin Gallery, Tehran
2015: Imago Mundi, Luciano Benetton Collection, Venice, Italy
2016: "This House," Iranshahr Gallery, Tehran
2018: "Summer Exhibition," Mah Gallery, Tehran
2021: "Look," Liam Gallery, Tehran
2021: "Liam Collection," Liam Gallery, Tehran
2021: "Virast," Liam Gallery, Tehran
2021: "This Pencil is Colored," Javid Gallery, Tehran
2021: "Flower Season," Talaar Space, Tehran
2023: "Treasure 3," Liam Gallery, Tehran
2023: "Selected Contemporary Artists," Art Center, Tehran
2024: "Reproduced," Yafteh Gallery, Tehran
2024: "Beyond the Mirage," Mellal Gallery, Tehran
2024: "Garden," Club Gallery, Tehran
2025: "Whispers of Presence: Dialogue Between Faces and Objects," Mellal Gallery, Tehran
Art Fairs
1975: Tehran Art Fair in collaboration with Autumn Hall, Paris
1976: Art Basel, Switzerland
1993: Art Fair Spring, Birmingham, UK
1993: Art Prints, Art Expo, New York, USA
1994: Art Prints Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
Biennials
2005: 4th Islamic World Painting Biennale, Saba Museum, Tehran
2007: 7th Painting Biennale of the 1960s and 1970s, Saba Museum, Tehran
