Reza Hedayat
Biography
Reza Hedayat (born June 14, 1966, in Nazem Abad village, Ghorveh, Kurdistan Province) is an Iranian painter, illustrator, and university professor. Influenced from childhood by his uncle, the renowned Kurdish painter and sculptor Arabali Sherveh, he has established himself as a prominent figure in contemporary Iranian visual arts.
Life and Education
Reza Hedayat was born in 1966 in a small village near Ghorveh, Kurdistan. He completed his elementary education in Nazem Abad and moved to Ghorveh for middle and high school, earning his diploma in 1984. After a few years working in a bookstore, which delayed his higher education, he was admitted to the University of Art in Tehran in 1990. He received his bachelor’s degree in painting in 1994 and continued to a master’s degree, graduating in 1999.
His professors included Ebrahim Jafari, Homayoun Salimi, Farshid Maleki, Mehdi Hosseini, Iraj Eskandari, Mina Nouri, and Arabali Sherveh.
Artistic and Teaching Activities
Hedayat began teaching at Soureh Art School in 1991 and has been a continuous faculty member at Soureh University since 1993. He has also taught at the University of Art in Tehran and Islamic Azad University.
He has illustrated books for the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (Kanoon) and authored and illustrated the book Immoral Animals.
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions (Selected)
– Haft Samar Gallery, 1996
– Afrand Gallery, 1994
– Elaheh Gallery, 2002
– Aria Gallery (Hand Printing), 2003
– Asar Gallery, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
– Man Ara Gallery, 2008
– Aria Gallery, 2010
– Birang Gallery, 2016
– Shirin Gallery, 2017
– Kabood Gallery, Tabriz, 2018
– Negah Gallery, 2018
Group Exhibitions
Over 30 group exhibitions in Iran and abroad (1996–2018)
Awards
– Selected work at the “Nature from Easterners’ Perspective” exhibition (2005)
– Selected at the Islamic World Biennial (2006)
– Encouragement Prize at the Noma Concours in Japan for illustration of Life, a Smile
– Award from the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) – Noma Concours
Video Index
Chapters:
- Life and Education Period
- Experiences and Working Methods
– Most influential individuals
– The influence of artistic activity on lifestyle
– Balance between personal life and professional career
– Creating a work: From idea to execution
– The concept of painting
– The greatest challenge
– The secret to longevity in the professional path
- Painting
– The state of painting education compared to past years
– The Saqqakhaneh school
– Imagination and creativity
– Modern and traditional art
– Modern art and national identity
– The position of Iranian painting in the world
– Tehran Auction
– Advice to painting students
- The impact of the audience on works
– Feedback from exhibiting works
– Facing negative criticism
– The state of criticism in visual arts
- Personal Worldview
– Evolution of thought
– Relationship with other arts
– Favorite artists
– If you hadn’t become a painter, what would you have liked to do?
– What is the best advice you have ever received?
– Social responsibility of the artist
– Hopes and disappointments
– A question to yourself
Personal Information
- Birthday: June 14, 1966
- Birthplace: Ghorveh, Kurdestan, Iran
- Interview date: 04.07.2015- 04.07.2015