Shahriar Ahmadi (Iran)

Shahriar Ahmadi, Juni 2008 -In a family of artists, I began my journey into the world of art with calligraphy creating portraits with words. I then realized that painting does for me what no other artistic medium can; it stops time in its tracks. Each of my paintings is a slice of my imagination in a single moment, yet they reveal all my secrets within that moment. I paint to place next to each other all these moments in time which represent life, to engage in a dialogue with history and present a kind of dialectic.

I always paint in eras searching for meaning and content in the ancient literature, religion and history of Iran. My first period at 16, was “Bastards” referring to the positive and endearing sense of the word. I gave life to naughty little creatures invading the canvas’ surface in a surreal atmosphere. I extended my reading to Rumi, my favorite poet, which resulted in my “Sama” and later the “Parrot an the Merchant” series. Religion has also always been a great source of inspiration. I was subconsciously drawn to “The Lion and Lord Ali” and “Ten Commandments.” Due to the visual similarity between the dome and the kind of dialectic it had with the snake, it evolved into a paradoxical title. This resulted in the “What is Maaddeh?” series. This was a play in words as maaddeh is both the word for the “feminine” and “material.” The dome and the snake were both present in this series as a hint at the banishment of Adam and Eve’s from Heaven. I have now gone back to Rumi in my current work, “Rumi in My Chalice.”

I begin each work with the complete absence of fear and total love for art. I use my hands to lay the paint on the surface. They are by far my favorite tools to work with as they remove one step in the transference of my imagination to the canvas. I work with speed, working and reworking the paint and thus, I find acrylic to be a suitable medium. My palette, though controlled, is an interplay of color and consistency; I allow the colors interact freely but within a controlled technique. Yellow ochre, though consistently present, appears in different hues and shades. I do not have a favorite color but prefer combinations of colors. Burning silver is a word that comes to mind. Calligraphy in the form of loose scribbles is pushed to the edges and beneath the forms. Then, when nothing needs to be added or subtracted, the work is finally complete.

My paintings are filled with riddles and mystery. They rip me out of my body and take me to a faraway land and time where no one else has been and is only known to people through legend and myth. They are filled with tales and accounts which if in a book, would take days to read. But on my canvas, they immediately inform viewers of their secrets. When viewers are able to read and understand the forms, when they follow the story and reach the truth revealed in my work and when they are delivered a blow by its impact, then I have created
my work successfully and feel like a sultan on earth.

Shahriar Ahmadi was born in 1979 in Kamiaran / Iran. He holds both a BA and a MFA in Painting from the University of Art, Tehran. He has had many solo and group exhibitions in Tehran, 
Middle East, Europe, China and the USA.

Archaic Techniques of Lovemaking