Hossein Ahmadinasab Transcript and Audio

Hossein Ahmadinasab

Audio of the Entire Interview

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Interview Transcript

Part 01

I’m Hossein Ahmadi-Nasab. I was born in Minab, in 1949 and in a nearly lettered family;

because my father was one of the first lettered people of Minab that built school [in Minab]

and was a teacher – there were two teachers and a headmaster in Minab and one of the teachers was my father.

As far I remember, I started painting from childhood, like other kids.

Actually whatever I was fond of painting, I hate lesson. I mean I hate school and I was taken to school forcibly.

As far I remember, I was painting in the years of learning in elementary school and my father was my first incentive [to paint].

Let me say that in our family of five or six, none of us didn’t do anything that was against his or her will.

I mean nobody told us to – for example – learn medical science or pharmacology.

One of us was became a teacher and the other one was after pharmacology. Also, I was after painting.

I was painting until morning. I remember – my father wasn’t anymore a teacher and he was the district governor of Minab –

sometimes he was looking at my painting until morning,

because he had a good handwriting – he was writing well – also he was rhyming and was a professional reader.

I remember I was offered to act in a scholastic show in the years of learning in elementary school.

The role that I was given was the role of top student. It was in conflict with what I was thinking, but I had to act and I acted.

I started to read children magazines and I was mostly going for which tale – for example – has picture,

because the first thing that attracted me was picture – every picture; it didn’t differ.

For example, when I was looking at a shop’s billboard, I wondered.

To be surprised, I was looking how “Ghow” (Iranian brand) vegetable oil was painted – how swan was painted on…

It was painted like water…and I wondered.

There was someone that writes on billboard. Sometimes I was going there and looking at him for 2-3 hours and he was sacking me!

I mean I was surprised of his painting and coloring, although it was ordinary.

I mean I afterward understand that they’re common. However, I looked with wonder.

I still have this wonder unit today that I’m in my late sixties.

I always said I didn’t learn painting from any teacher, although I afterwards had teacher – but not in the beginning.

There was a blind man that came and went to our house and this man was an interesting human.

I mean he didn’t see anything, but has a strong imagination.

And I’m always saying I learned imagination from him.

Why? Because this man was telling tales that were very fascinating –

we were stayed up until a time of night hope to his tales to tell them every night.

He was teaching us imagination, specially to me.

He was telling unusual tales that I afterwards told myself wow! It is what named magical realism.

What he was telling in those years is the same as I read of Márquez or Fuentes or Llosa now.

Let me say that we were actually self-raised people in that environment.

Well, I was fond of poem – rhyming. I gathered somethings and I thought they were poem.

I remember my father has collected poems from many people – like Hafez, Saadi and Mowlana (Iranian poets) – but there were other people.

I remember my father has collected poem from Nima (Iranian poet) and this afterwards became surprising for me,

although it was possible that my father – for example – didn’t read free verses of Nima,

but I afterwards understand that Nima is so close to my father that he read his poems.

As I went to high school, I became very happy because of being theatre association in there, so I went to the theatre association.

I’m always saying that working on theater looks like seed breaking; if you break the first one, you will break the second one.

And I followed theatre, so the shows that we were performing were critical, social, ethical and so on.

I mean I still didn’t read any book about theatre and I didn’t understand playing, etc.

Think that – for example – Minab city is very small.

The person who was encouraging me was my brother who was older than me for 6-7 years.

By chance, he was working on theatre too and we were performing show in the house once a week.

We sold ticket, my friends and the families came and we perform for them.

I think it was the beginning of 1970s – 1969 or 1970 – that I came to Tehran and Anahita art institution.

I didn’t still receive secondary school diploma. I came to arrive in Anahita art institution.

When I came to Anahita art institution, Mr. Oskouei came to Saadi Cinema in Shah-Abad – that was caught fire in 1970s.

I actually came there for the love of Mahdi Fathi.

I didn’t know Mahdi Fathi (Iranian actor) so mush – I only knew his name.

I was still coming to see him, but I couldn’t actually.

Then I came there, got registered, started acting and so on. Well, that period of time passed in this way.

Any more I get acquainted with Mr. Mahdi Fathi and find more contact with him in theatre.

I dare say that I learned many things from him. Whatever I learned from Fathi, I didn’t learn from many others.

Well, I remember that Mr. Zhanti likely was the head of the theatre department in the last of 1971 and so on.

I had a dramatic project named “Zar”.

I went and told [Mr. Zhanti] that I want to perform this in the theatre department.

Well, anybody wasn’t allowed to arrive in the theatre department. There looked like a solid castle.

It has four watchmen and so on, but I anymore said I’m from Minab and so on, so I become admitted and went there.

I went and remember Dariush Moaddabian was in charge of theatre rehearsal playhouses in the theatre department.

Anyway, I arrived there, made a group – it stopped – and I returned to Minab.

When I came to the secondary school, I see that there were a theatre association, journalism association, – for example – speech association, sport association and etc.

Well, I was drawn to the journalism association – I mean school newspaper on the wall – and theatre association.

Anymore there were guys that were working on the theatre.

For example, if I were on the first grade of secondary school, they were on the second or third or last grade of there.

They didn’t pay attention to us so much and I remember that I told them I’m interested in theatre and I went there this way.

I went, started and continued in a way that the headmaster suggested me that you must perform a theatre once a week.

I mean we were performing a play on Thursday nights.

I was mostly affected by plays of radio.

I mean I was actually taking everything that I heard from night stories (in radio)

and I was writing their summary or describe them – for example “bloodthirsty man”.

I remember that I wrote the play of “Haji-Agha” – of Sadegh Hedayat (Iranian writer) – in that secondary school with my method and we performed that.

My brother was the secondary school headmaster of one of the Minab’s districts named “Sirik” –

where is a desert and has little water.

In that time, I suggested my brother that I come there and teach literature.

He said that which literature do you want to teach? I said that well, the present-day literature.

Stop that! – for example – You teach about Saadi and I teach about Nima. It happened in this way.

And I said with myself that it isn’t not that bad to publish a journal here – we have everything.

I published a journal named “Pootorok” in two numbers – “Pootorok” means spark –and the name of the theatre group is still “Pootorok”.

I remember that I gave the two numbers of the journal to Mr. Shamlou in Khooshe magazine and something was witten in Ferdowsi magazine and so on.

Anymore it wasn’t published and allowed to publish in 1970 and so on.

– Who didn’t allow?

The Ministry of Education mostly didn’t allow.

Well, SAVAK (Persian abbreviation for: Intelligence and Security Organization of the Country in Iran) was a part of the Ministry of Education and so on.

Think that when I performed “Four boxes” play of Bahram Beyzaei,

the first part was performed and the second part wasn’t allowed to perform – I don’t know it was in 1970 or 1971.

See, there was a haste in our works, even in our thought. See, there was a haste in our works, even in our thought.

Think that I was reading “The Curse of Earth” of Jalal Al-e-Ahmad (Iranian writer). Well, it’s against the machine and tractor –

I mean he considered tractor as a monster for destroying farmer, farmland and so on.

But it isn’t correct – anymore farmer must have tractor! But we were thinking that he’s right

– what’s monster? – for example – it’s machine and so on.

We were seeing the world in this way. We were actually rolling like a rock and this rock became polished over time anymore.

Part 02

Which classes did you go for story-writing?

No. No. I didn’t go to any class for story-writing.

And do you believe that I still don’t believe in poem (composing) and story (writing) class? – especially in poem.

I’m saying that how can make someone being poet? It isn’t possible.

It’s possible – I don’t know –that someone teaches story-writing principles, but how long does it take (to teach it)?

I have a story named “The Beginning of Destruction” that was published in 1973 or 1974, in Ferdowsi magazine.

I thought that story-writing isn’t a situation that story-writer – I don’t know – exerts its influence and so on in that time.

It was said that the character of a worker [in story] of Ahwaz must speak, walk, live and son like him.

I mean it must have his content and I pay attention to personages.

I was only reading book and I didn’t do anything.

I was acquainted with the prose (the way of writing) of Ebrahim Golestan (Iranian writer) anymore.

It isn’t anyone’s work to find someone like Golestan that who I am [to find him]? What I am [to find him]?

Well, you’re a guy with curly hairs and white suit and so on.

Suddenly, you come to “Tehran Mosavvar” magazine’s yard and sit that everyone come together there on Monday dates

for example, from Dr. Baraheni (Iranian poet) to Mohit Tabatabei (Iranian researcher).

Radio (programs) have a very strong role in my life, especially “The Stories of Night” program.

I mean if the radio (machine) turned off in our house on a night, my mother would get the neighbor’s radio for me to follow “The Stories of Night” program.

And I was converting the story of night to play – I mean I was writing and adopted it for theatre.

“Once upon a time…”

I remember that I was 19 or 20 years old and I came to the radio (building) and to Mr. Meshkin.

He became fond of me in a way. I was talking to him about Minab and so on.

Then, he said that I want to go to the show department and let’s go to walk together.

And he took me to the [backstage of] series that Mr. Mashayekhi (Iranian actor) and other ones played there.

Mr. Zohouri show department was the head of that show department – I don’t know his first name.

On the other hand, I loved this man’s voice and besides loved Sadegh Hedayat (Iranian writer) and Meshkin himself fraternized with Hedayat, Ghaemian and other ones.

And this man was telling me much about Hedayat in the way that we went from Ark [square] to Shah St. (present Republic St.).

Think that – for example – I was selling ten numbers of “Khoosheh” magazine in the secondary school.

I mean Shamlou (Iranian poet and the editor-in-chief of “Khoosheh” magazine) was surprised (of this).

When I went to the “Khoosheh” magazine’s office in SafiAli-Shah Street,

he said how is it possible that you sell ten numbers of “Khoosheh” magazine in that small city (Minab)?!

I said well, we are selling them. So, he entrusted to me with the (management) of “Khoosheh” magazine’s agency (in Minab).

I mean we were thinking that we must work.

Well, in my opinion, these weren’t little things that you work in these many years and arrive here – without being creditor.

Now, if Minab theatre has a (larger) privilege than Bandar-Abbas theatre – nevertheless that I’m of Bandar-Abbas and I’m not of Minab –

but I give this concession to Minab theatre and I think it was the result of the people’s toils

like Mr. Ahmadi-Nasab that were founders of Minab theatre.

There are particular seriousness, obstinacy, arrangement and cohesion in Minab theatre.

You know that “Ferdowsi” magazine was one of the journals that everyone has on Mondays in that time.

And it was the biggest honor for someone that publish a poem or a story or news and so on in “Ferdowsi” magazine.

I gave some stories to Mr. Abbas Pahlavan (the editor-in-chief of “Ferdowsi” magazine).

You know that he was a proud person. He said can I say something man?

I said yes, go ahead. He said if the stories [that you give me] are good, I will publish them – if they aren’t, I won’t return it.

I said it’s okay. I saw that they one story (of me) is published every week.

Also, I was drawing (its) designs myself, although Mr. Bozorg Khazraei was the graphist of the magazine.

It caused that I got acquainted with many poet, painter, story-writer and journalist guys in that time.

I was saying (to myself) that no! My birthplace needs me much that I work on theatre there.

And my friend here – somehow my teachers – believed that I must come back there and work.

[They said] you (should) come back to your birthplace and work with the people who need [you],

not be in a place – I don’t know – that’s [comfortable] and so and so.

I always got involved with this thought and I still get involved with it until now.

[The situation] was difficult in that time and in Minab city.

Well, I was asking for help. Also, I had good friends here.

I mean – for example – I invited the deceased Mr. MohammadAli Jafari (Iranian director) to teach a part of theatre in Minab in that time.

I was working in this way.

I invited Mr. Mahdi Fathi (Iranian actor) to teach oratory theatre twice a year there – I mean to teach Stanislavski’s (Russian theatre director) method.

Abdullah-Khan Davami (Iranian musician) was coming to me.

Well, it was so excellent for this city that – for example – Lotfi (Iranian musician) suddenly walks in the street

and we arrange to perform concert with Mr. Shajarian (Iranian singer) and Lotfi here – when Lotfi arrives here in the next year.

By the way – for example – Mr. Dowlat-Abadi (Iranian writer) speeches about literature before concert and so on.

When? 1974. I mean I’m thinking that working – if it’s done – must be fundamental.

I was always working persistently in my city for these seven years, until 1979, when I migrated to Tehran.

I mean although I got married recently, but I could arrive home at 11-11:30 p.m.

I continued the work on theatre until the year that I became employed at Ministry of Culture and Art – exactly in 1974 –

as the expert of theatre and painting that I was responsible for teaching painting and theatre.

See, my professional work was “Fox and Eagle” show.

Its play was written by Mr. Bijan Mofid (Iranian playwright)

and my friend Mahmoud Ostad-Mohammad (Irainian theatre actor) – who was in Bijan Mofid’s group – gave me this play.

I was working on this play for a year. You know that it’s all from animals’ expression.

I mean our professional movement started from 1970

and then I continued with “The People with Bat in Hands from Varazil” play – from Saedi (Iranian writer) in Minab.

Of course, if we performed in Minab, we would perform in Bandar-Abbas.

I mean we arrived too in Sirjan and Kerman probably [to perform].

Anymore, I worked on other shows respectively;

like “One-Act plays” of Chekhov (Russian playwright),

or I adopted the stories of Chekhov for theatre and many other plays;

like “Where Fishes Became Rocks” play – that we performed it with our group in Minab –

and then “Zar” play that I was working on it for a year and the people – who performed its music – were native

and I myself found them from the villages of there.

I mean I searched for and invited them to the work.

They were very talented and they’re still alive

one of them is a teacher in this country and arrives anywhere much named Ghanbar Rastgou.

Well, he didn’t become famous in that time.

And then, the other shows – if you’re willing, I will mention them:

“Good Day, Mr. Priest” play that I performed for tv – it was a German play,

“An Excursion in Zero” play that one the friends of Minab wrote it – named Ali Rezaei,

“Animal and Passenger” play, “Four Boxes” play of Beyzaei (Iranian playwright)

that its first act was performed and SAVAK (Persian abbreviation for: Intelligence and Security Organization of the Country in Iran) agents arrived and didn’t allow to perform the second act in Minab.

It’s written in all of the literally and artistic magazines of that time that why this show isn’t allowed

and it had to perform – such as “Ferdowsi” magazine (editor-in-chief: Abbas Palavan) and so on.

See, theatre resembles a wave that carries you with itself

I’m not saying that you drown [in it] – it’s a really bad word – but it carries you with itself.

“Nobody sees me, unless he/she sits on the edge of this pond. I’m searching for my lost one. Didn’t you see it?”
- “Me?”

Part 03

Historic Excursion of Hossein Ahmadi-Nasab Theatres

We performed “Valad-Koshteh” play in Minab in 1978 – not only in Minab, but also in Bandar-Abbas for some nights.

It was the last work of me in Minab: “Valad-Koshteh” play that Sadegh Hatefi (Iranian playwright) wrote it.

It was performed and finished.

I was transferred to Theatre Department of Tehran in 1979.

I joined the group of Akbar Zanjan-Pour (Iranian actor) in the first year, but I gradually made a group.

Some young people came that many of them are the famous ones of this country’s theatre now. It was their first work anymore.

I wrote a play named “The Exotic Sorrow of Exile” that was my sorrow.

It was performed in Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art for a month and Sangelaj amphitheater in next month.

Its play and directing was mine. I was working on 1-2 shows and performing them in year in this way.

The last one was “The Red Wind” play.

See, I was working much on “Zar” illness.

I read “Ahle-Hava” book and associated with Mr. Saedi (Iranian writer) – I mean I was coming to him.

[I performed] “The Red Illusion”, “The Red Wind”, “Zar”, “Babour”

I performed “Babour” in No.2 hall of City Theater of Tehran that became a very good work with Bandar-Abbas guys.

It was performed for some nights there – and “The Love of Rikon’s Year” – it was about “Zar”.

Jamshid Khanian (Iranian writer) wrote the “Babour” play and I directed it.

Also, he wrote “The Love of Rikon’s Year” play and it’s performed in Chahar-So amphitheater.

And other shows that aren’t few.

I hasn’t worked on theatre for 7-8 years yet, because I gradually became annoyed.

Actually, I couldn’t admit somethings on one hand. On the other hand, it was managing the group.

For example, the first work of Behzad Khoda-Veisi (Iranian actor) was with me;

Mrs. Roya Nonahali (Iranian actress) came to learn acting and many others that weren’t few.

“Nobody sees me, unless he/she sits on the edge of this pond. I’m searching for my lost one. Didn’t you see it?”

Then, I established an atelier named “Art Atelier”.

I was invited others to come – such as my friend Behzad Farahani (Iranian actor), Mr. Fathi (Iranian actor) and others

to talk with the guys who were working there and visit them and many others.

I held a painting exhibition in Mrs. Sheikh’s “Sheikh” gallery in 1990.

I remember from childhood that I saw a black and white piece of a newspaper – it wasn’t colored in that time – with a painting of Al-Khas (Iranian painter).

I said wow! Why is it so different from other paintings?

I loved Mr. Al-Khas very much. Also, he loved my works in these many years anymore.

And I got acquainted with many people about painting in those times.

I visited Ardeshir Mohasses (Iranian painter) much in magazines’ offices – “Tehran Mosavvar” and “Ferdowsi” magazines, because I went near Saedi.

One time, I went to Saedi’s surgery in Delgosha St.

He thought that I’m sick and guided me to the examination room.

I came there – I was shy and it was 1970. I was sitting and waiting for doctor.

Then, I said Mr. Saedi! I’m not sick. He said so what are you?!

I said I’m of Minab and I came from there to see you.

He said really? Are you of Minab? I said yes.

He said how’s Minab? Is it still hot?

– I don’t know how is it relevant in that season?!

It looked as if it was always hot there – I said yes, it’s hot.

Because he was working on his book “Ahle-Hava” and went Minab with Nasser Taghvaei (Iranian director) there

and his book “Fear and tremble” was related to there – I read it.

He said come to that room to talk with each other and say that who are you.

We talked to each other in very common sayings. Well, it was his habit – he didn’t speak complexly.

He was very popular. He was very precious – I don’t know. I learned many things from him.

Then I said Mr.Saedi! Can I come again? He said yes, come back in the next week.

I arrived there the next week. In the time of farewell, I said can I come again? He said come twice a week!

We wanted to find great people in that time. Mr. Anvar! I was trying to be sane.

In the first step, I was telling the guys who were learning theatre in my group that guys! First, learn the life and sane living.

Then other things came anymore. If don’t behave like a human being, you won’t learn art – and theatre art at that.

And Saedi helped me much in this context and I was visiting that who were coming to him.

I visited Dariush Mehr-Jui (Iranian actor) for the first time beside Saedi to talk with each other about “The Cow” movie.

I was visiting Bahman Mohasses (Iranian painter).

I visited his first tableau – not the first one, the portrait of Nima (Iranian poet) that he was drawing – in the surgery of Saedi and I loved this work much.

And I’m thinking that – for example – Gauguin (French painter) was my fellow-citizen.

When I usually went to Minab, I’m saying wow! He was missed in this village,

because the women who are sitting here are intact – like Gauguin’s paintings:

They’re breaking seeds, thinking and seeing what is unknown – calm, quiet and so on.

Mr. Anvar! As much as books taught me painting, nobody taught me.

I mean when Forough (Iranian poet) rhymed:” My heart is heavy / My heart is heavy / I went to the veranda / And I stretch my fingers on elongated skin of the night”,

I was seeing the picture of this stretched fingers and elongated skin of the night.

The blind man who has a strong imagination, strengthened my eye. I mean he was seeing.

And the friends that I had – [and one of them was] Morteza Rezvan (Iranian writer) –

was saying and believes that – in our talks – Children see green color greener that we [see].

Well, children taught me something. Especially, I learned the colored boldness from children.

And then my land – my birthplace – taught me painting.

That sun; that bare and merciless sun that shines.

And those brilliant colors that shine on all the intact and wild nature of Minab.

And the magic that I made – I was saying – for example, it must be full of elf and I don’t know – strange beings in the Portuguese castle – that’s behind our house.

And I was always seeing these colors and their shining.

Why was I seeing? Because well, I didn’t recognize Impressionists (of a famous art movement).

I didn’t know that Claude Monet (French painter) has painted a tableau named “Impression”.

I didn’t know, but I was living with these colors.

And I was providing the most of my artistic part from this side.

Do you pay attention? I mean with looking, seeing and something that I made for myself.

Also, I make color for myself now – I make the color that’s desired to me.

For example, if this gouache is blue, I must draw this blue very purely.

If I mix it with other color, it will become nonsensical or dirty or neutral and the toxin of that color is caught.

Because of this, I like to make colors unadulterated and pure.

For example, I’m saying that if I mix red and white together, it becomes pink.

Well, pink is another color. Because of this, I’m saying that I mustn’t mix them.

These are somethings that’s existed in my interior from my childhood and I think they’re related to environment and birthplace.

And that nature taught me something.

Then, I had teacher – I said I was working on painting under observation of Mr. Shahab Mousavi-Zadeh (Iranian painter) anymore for some years,

but these rebellions caused me not to follow this method of learning painting.

I was saying that I want to paint in this way and so on.

Do you pay attention? I liked to learn alphabet and also like forgetting it.

Part 04

My first exhibition was held in Sheikh gallery in 1990.

This coincided almost with… I had an atelier in that time in Sohrevardi St. named “Art Atelier”

and I was inviting others to undertake a part of work [there] – such as my friend Mr. Behzad Farahani (Iranian actor) and others.

Of course, Behzad came much, because we recognized each other for some years.

Then I remember that Behzad held my first exhibition,

because I went Minab for “The Red Wind” movie and we were there for 8-9 months for that movie and so on.

Because of this, Behzad did all the affairs of the exhibition and even invited people there.

Also, there congested much and everybody were almost there.

There were usually portraits and realistic pieces.

I remember that it was exaggerated in the feet and hands

especially in the tableau that there are two dumbstruck old men sitting opposite a house in Gheshm island and staring to an unknown place.

[Their] hands and feet were too big.

I was usually painting with oil and some watercolors.

I was loyal much to nature. I mean nature existed much in my pieces

and wasn’t summarized and abstract much, although I was giving more credence to human’s figure there

I’m saying that I was doing work on theatre the same.

The set ‘décor’ wasn’t the prevailing aspect. The actors were the prevailing aspects.

I mean the actors were moving on the theatre, not much cover, set ‘décor’ and lighting. They performed with the least budget.

“Speak softly! It’s possible that somebody hears us.”

- “Do you only think about it?! He was shot for us.”

- “Is it my fault?! Do I take his blame?!”

- “It’s your and my fault. It’s our fault.”

My first exhibition was held in 1990 with almost 40-odd painting pieces. Most of them were oil paintings.

And…aha! There was a passing vision to Impressionism (art movement) in my works.

Taches and my brush’s movements were affected by Van Gogh (Dutch painter) in those works.

And I’m saying there were famous people [in my pieces]

such as Mahdi Fathi’s (Iranian actor) portrait or Sadegh Hedayat’s (Iranian writer) portrait

not this portrait, the other portrait that I was working on, Forough, Nima (Iranian poets) and the others that were sold.

Also, my mother’s face that I remember I didn’t sell it

and Ferdows Kaviani (Iranian actor) said that Hossein! I love this piece.

I said Well if you love this piece, it doesn’t matter. But I don’t like to sell it.

Ferdows said no! I want this piece. Anymore, he bought it.

I held [another exhibition] in Sheikh gallery too in 1991.

My vision became gradually more exactly to my surroundings – the people and figures that I was drawing.

But my color was the same [as the past]; the heightened and pure colors, because I really hate hybrid colors.

Sheikh gallery shut down in 1992 and I remember that I held [another exhibition] in Nour gallery.

My first exhibition had a name: “The Warm Southern Faces”.

When I held my third exhibition in Nour

, I took this phrase from Ali Baba-chahi (Iranian poet) [for naming the exhibition]: “The Mournful tousled-hair Sea”.

It’s possible that human achieves skill during his work.

I mean the form of your work becomes more professional and deeper,

because you’re always thinking about your work

and finally it will elapse a time from you and your work pass from somethings and this will happen,

but actually I avoided sudden incidents a little.

When people come, I’m always behind them anymore.

I mean I go behind them [to see] how they look and enjoy.

I mean their reaction energizes me. The reactions don’t always agree with you and mustn’t [always] agree.

At least, I’m saying that if I didn’t do anything, I would put a handsome color in front of that human.

It’s not a little work – inviting an eye to see a color.

The Connection Between Music And Painting, In Hossein Ahmadi-Nasab’s Pieces

When I wake up in the mornings, my energy is usually more. And I usually start to work from 8-9 a.m.

I put music [CD] in tape recorder – it must play – and I start to work. My ears listen to the music or poem

for example, the voice of Shamlou (Iranian poet) that read [the poems of] Nima, Hafez and Khayyam ((Iranian poets).

It / He gives me rhythm and moves me – just this, but I become deaf in other way – I don’t hear. I don’t hear much to follow it exactly.

Setar (Iranian musical instrument) Performing – Master MohammadReza Lotfi (Iranian musician)

I usually play Iranian music accidentally,

but I play a music that’s in the same direction with my work’s movement – I mean – helps me.

I play some of the Tar [performing tracks] of Lotfi that are very lively and stirring,

but I recently play my sons’ pieces anymore.

I’m saying that they perform very well. I play their pieces.

I love Tar performing of Arash (his son) and Kamancheh (Persian music instrument) performing of Siavash – they perform really well.

Besides, well I sometimes play southern music [of Iran] and go into raptures.

I mean – for example – there’s a Jofti (Iran- southern musical instrument) performing of a person like Ghanbar Rastgou (Iran- southerner musician).

These help me much in color, coloring, imagination and vision that they give me.

I don’t work – paint – without music not at all. I always work with music.

Music originally makes the most part of my life.

The performing of Arash and Siavash Ahmadi-Nasab – The Exhibtion of Hossein Ahmadi-Nasab’s pieces; Tehran, 2015

See, the first thing – in my opinion – that comes to work…

can I say something? This color decides my work, not nature itself and that person’s face or hand or foot.

I’m saying that here’s red, brown, green and some colors.

Colors eventually have sound, movement and music.

Everything is there anymore. It seems that they talk to you.

You talk to them too – it means you get involved [with them]. It’s such as a dialog.

Perhaps [it is a situation] for me that I come from theatre and painting.

I always interject to painting from theatre and interject to theatre from painting.

These are something that exists in me and I don’t escape from them and I didn’t want to.

This is my palette that tells me how you should be in this way. Work in this way and so on.

I mean they came to me one by one.

In the first place, wanting to draw blue, I don’t draw blue.

Perhaps I draw blue, I see that it doesn’t affect – blue isn’t correct here. So,] I replace them.

Then I’m saying that I’m thinking about colors strengthening.

I mean I don’t say that – for example – I draw green aside – for example – blue and so on.

No, I draw it aside red – for example that greens becomes greener and red becomes redder.

Do you pay attention? You [mix] Blue with orange and so on. They are strengthened aside each other.

The morale is related to my moment [that I work].

You think – for example – I play music for each work.

Now, what that music makes within me – which movement or though [it makes] –

my hands move the same on canvas and paper,

but I try to be Ahmadi-Nasab during all moments – I try to be myself.

part 05

Well, I’m inspired by life much. Life itself is interesting for me – it’s an interesting thing.

Actually, I love people very much. They enchant me to themselves – I don’t know why.

I remember that I was reading a topic about Stanislavski (Russian theatre director) or another person,

from an American researcher, which gave example of and introduced the successes of Soviet Union’s theatre.

He asked [Stanislavski or another person] that why are you so successful on theatre stage?

That person – Russian actor – answered that we look at people instead of waiting for them to look at us.

I couldn’t copy [from other artworks] much – I can’t too now.

I mean – for example – if I want to copy from a picture, I can’t.

Now, I’m working in that way. I mean – for example – I drew a human with big hands and feet.

Well, these big hands and feet and is the same [as the past artworks] in my work.

This artwork [with big hands and feet] wasn’t known naturally in that time, but It’s known for me now.

Well, I’m acquainted with some [art] schools and I’m saying that – for example –

this artwork is probably expressionistic – such as these titles we can name.

If I draw a big hand, I’ll say that well, this is human’s hand that’s a strong hand. Human can do many things with his/her hand

for example, a surgeon that performs an operation with his/her hand or a pianist and a violinist that plays with his/her hand and so on.

Maybe it was because of reading a book that emphasizes on hand much

how does human become tool maker? He / She makes a hat – that tool – with his/her thought, idea and hand.

Well, it’s possible that an artist’s hand is very delicate, but he/she does many things with his/her hand anymore.

All of us that we say that we do creative work and so on, I think that all of these works have been done somehow.

All of these have been done. It’s correct that we take possession of [them] for ourselves after a while.

I mean taking possession is a slightly difficult work and being oneself is a difficult work

that you stand on your own foot and be yourself.

I’ve emphasized much in painting that I’m being myself.

See, the noble vision these humans to their life, surroundings, work,

ceremony, conventions, clothes, and many other things, in most of my artworks.

I remember that an author friend in one of the “Green” exhibitions asked that

why do all of the women wear new and beautiful dresses in Ahmadi-Nasab’s tableaus?

I remember that Mr. Fathi (Iranian actor) answered that what’s wrong with this woman to and not to wear beautiful dress?!

Why do we think that poverty is in – for example – villages and so on?

And you know that this poverty was in our literature, theatre and cinema anymore

for example, showing villager as an underdeveloped person and so on.

Well, I was saying that no, isn’t there a good person in that village?! I want to show him/her. What’s wrong with it?!

I’m saying that I draw a human that stands on his/her own feet, and walk well.

It’s correct that his/her tablecloth is [small], but he/she eats well. What’s wrong with eating well?!

Why do we think that – for example – it must be a fly around his/her bread or face?!

A photographer, sociologist, anthropologist and so on can show [villages] in this way.

[But] artist doesn’t like to work in this way – he/she wants to show another form of these humans.

Yeah, they’re all moving. I mean I didn’t [see] anybody to…

something is happening in someone’s interior who sits

I mean they’re wiggling on the tableau and paper.

They’re walking and not standing steadily – this stagnation doesn’t exist [there].

Besides, the turbid and dark colors don’t exist too [there].

Why? Because suddenly, I see something is shining like fire in that empty area of Minab.

This is the dress of that woman that’s shining – flaming originally.

And these humans are walking gracefully in their way.

You were in the south [of Iran] yourself and know that they (the natives of the south) don’t walk ordinarily not at all.

Their body is always moving – I mean there a dance in their movement,

even when they talk – such as Black people that talk, but it seems that they dance.

Sometimes if I myself speak about that human, I’ll change – not meaning faint, for example.

No. I’ll change [to answer this question:] How can we show inner and outer situation of these humans? When? Where? With which color?

See, [if] I draw the first color on the canvas or paper, the second one will be made itself.

This is humans and space that are always made and accidentally telling you that be and work in this way.

I mean this is poem that composes you in fact

poet doesn’t sit at the table to compose poem and this is a reality.

It’s possible that another incident happens in painting that painter sits in front of his/her canvas – Picasso (Italian painter) did many things like this.

What does the repetition of southern woman subject mean in your artworks?

Because of multiplication. Paul Cézanne (French painter) was drawing his still-life artworks(s)

[and] this is the next interpretations that [say] – for example – that Cézanne drew one apple on still-life.

I think Cézanne said somewhere that I drew one apple – for example – and this is the same [as these interpretations].

I think that these interpretations take place by other

and in my opinion, the beauty of art is related to this: revealing interpretations [about] originally.

I’m a severely day-dreamer person.

I day-dream most of the time – especially in the things that I write for theatre and play –

and this fancy is always with me, but reality exists too certainly.

[It should be the situation that] fancy isn’t for fancy’s sake and reality and science don’t become lost.

See, I finish most of my artworks in the day that I give them for framing – not finishing in the common meaning.

I draw the last tache until the last moment – all of them (artworks) are manipulated.

I want to continue [painting] in two spaces now:

One is space of – probably – south [of Iran] – with changing its form and any other incident – and another is out of the south.

Now, I want to work only on portrait and hold an exhibition [including] portrait. I’m saying that portrait is felt missing.

Which destination does darkness go in your artworks?

Because my work is in night, although it isn’t sometimes known to be day or night

I mean the sun displaces his place with the moon in somewhere.

It’s because of a mystique for me in night that has existed from childhood

I mean I was always fearing in the nights and it had to be many people around me to fall asleep.

I was fearing that others told me about elf and so on.

I still fear in the night in my birthplace – I hear strange sounds [there].

This fear has become me Imaginative gradually.

Part 06

Contemporary guys accidentally learned the short cut and sometimes work well

in my opinion, young people are progressing especially in visual arts and have shining artworks.

See, technique dominates more now and these (young people) have the things that we don’t have in that time,

but I’m saying that the values are lost. Do you pay attention?

Some dramatic gestures have entered in our contemporary and present theatre and stage that they aren’t needed much

for example, I mean if you remove a motion, nothing happens for the play.

Well, many of us don’t do this, but the language of this generation has changed much.

Saedi taught me something: He was saying that when we go to a gallery,

we convict ourselves to not knowing [the artwork], instead of collaring convicting the painter to [answer that] why are you working in this way? – for example.

Do you pay attention? We didn’t do this – I mean that generation do this less.

It was the same in theatre – for example, university students were collaring the person – or poem and literature –

the poem and literature was brought up more that mentioned people, movement, revolution and many other things finally.

See, Brecht (German playwright) said about art that artist is the messenger of his/her age.

Each artist talks about his/her age.

If you work well in your country and don’t go for becoming – for example – mundane forcibly…

if I talk well, the world will agree my saying.

Perhaps our mighty artists weren’t a bit worthy of working according to the fashion that everybody goes for something, because it becomes trendy

[for example] in cinema. Well, somethings become trendy in our cinema in a time that our cinema becomes damaged [from them].

We made one “Qeysar” movie and many other “Qeysar” movies come after that.

Mr. Anvar! I don’t agree with some of such movements – I’m saying that we must recognize ourselves.

Where was Aimé Césaire (French poet) from? Why did the world discover him?

What did Lorca (Spanish poet) say that the world officially recognized him? Huh?

Because of being himself, he became worldwide – the world admitted him.

I’m saying that I’m Hossein Ahmadi-Nasab, this is my identity card

and I originally don’t like to say about something much and so on.

I’m saying that blind person taught me in some moderation. Right?

Does Borges refuse to say that my “One Thousand and One Nights” [book] taught many things?

Why do we refuse to do this? – I don’t know.

Why does Mr. Dowlat-Abadi say that – for example – also I read “Hossein Kurd Shabestari” [story]?

He doesn’t refuse to say this, because he’s the Dowlat-Abadi.

He’s in his place and nothing is missed of him.

Now, we must correct this sea. If you get 100 buckets of water from it, it won’t decrease.

This is the place that Forough (Iranian poet) said: “No hunter won’t dive for any peal in a small brook.”

there isn’t any pearl in the brook that pours in pill; pearl is in oceans anymore.

I’m saying that this essence must be found – this essence is originally humane.

I don’t know and like everything that’s not humane – I don’t like nature without human.

In my opinion, it’s impossible to work out of (without) society and people – it’s a reality –

in literature, visual [arts], and music context – it doesn’t differ.

You think that – for example – what was [in the age of] Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri (Iranian singer)?

There was a gramophone record and a German person came to record a disc record or not in Fill Alley of Laleh-Zar street.

How did people love her song? Because of her voice and personality

Ghamar gave her bread to dog, beggar, hungry person and poor person, but her house didn’t have door and window.

Now, compose a poem that he/she doesn’t and I don’t understand. Then what?!

I’m saying again that it takes a long time to prove to be or not to be of this movement that has happened.

It must be. It’s impossible to deny it – especially in our literature

- Which movement?

For example, the unwritten, unspoken and undrawn things, hating others, driving away and eliminating

I originally disagree with eliminating that this one must be and that one mustn’t be.

Who said you must be?!…How old were you when you came?

Why do you designate that I must be and he/she mustn’t be?

In my opinion, it’s such a wave – if big waves come, they’ll destroy small waves and this is a reality.

Part 07

Which artist enthuses you?

Lorca (Spanish poet) or Neruda (Chilean poet) are very wonderful to me. Aragon (French poet) is as well,

but among Iranians I really like Shamlou and Forough (Iranian poets)

and I’m saying that Nima (Iranian poet) is the top of all poets.

Which profession did you go for except art?

Nothing. I didn’t think about anything at all.

I liked to be a teacher, but I didn’t teach slightly anymore.

I don’t like to educate a painter that works similar to me exactly.

It’s possible that Mahshid Aziz-Mohseni (Iranian painter) – that we are working for twenty odd years – is affected by [my artworks],

but she’s [painting] herself and in my opinion, this person has found her character in these years that we hold exhibition.

In your opinion, what’s the relation between traditional/aboriginal art and modern art?

I think if there isn’t any alteration in the tradition, rituals and ceremonies

that are used especially in theatre, they’ll a limited lifetime anymore.

But when artistic alteration is made, they’ll become more enduring.

I don’t see any contradiction between these two that– for example – if you make a contemporary aboriginal artwork, it won’t be bad.

In my opinion, there’re somethings that aren’t worthless. Do you pay attention?

Also, there’re somethings that we can’t keep them, despise of willing to keep them. Right?

Why don’t we talk about something that can help Contemporary art and world at all?

What’s your opinion about critique in art’s context?

Well, many people believe that we don’t have any sound critic. Right?

But I read the critiques that are very great and vigorous.

I was seeing the critiques of Ghareh-Baghi (Iranian critic) as very professional and vigorous ones

– it seems that this person was working hard, reading, looking and writing without any private motive – He was criticizing, not writing essay.

What’s the obligation of art in contemporary age?

We defend this area. Why don’t we perform theatre to teach me loving?

We’re saying that It’s not the obligation of art, so what is the obligation? I don’t understand.

What is the obligation of art? I don’t know.

Once we said the art of nihilism. Well, this art of futility became proved to be false anymore – I mean it didn’t exist at all.

According to Mr. Samandarian (Iranian director): “Does Adamov (Armenian playwright) run a red light?! Well, he stays.” [So,] which futility?!

What does amaze you?

Everything that’s in nature amazes me. Besides, when I see a good artwork, it amazes me wondrously.

I wholly look at everything with wonder – somethings that some of the people don’t believe them.

Someday, I was sitting for no reason and gazing at a tree trunk that was in front of our house in Minab.

Then, Mahdi Fathi (Iranian actor) said Hossein! I’ve sat behind you for one hour.

Do you review your city? I said no, [I’m looking at] this tree trunk.

What does painting mean to you?

See, I think if I have two wings now, one wing is theatre and another one is painting for me.

Now, it belongs to my life, body and thought anymore.

Human gets the air of that work after a while.

It was Balzac (French writer) that said in “Father Goriot” novel:

all of the people who were living in that hotel, have gotten the air and habitude of there.

If you chose an artwork for yourself, what was its name?

I can’t say. But in my opinion, the joint of meat or chuck (“Slaughtered Ox”) – that Rembrandt (Dutch painter) drew it –

is a portrait and figure that is paid attention less.

I’m saying that it’s wondrous and a masterpiece that Rembrandt drew.

Or – for example – the deforming that Bacon (Irish painter) has done in his artworks – I really like to have an artwork except his way.

I’m not saying that I don’t like not to have van Gogh

but I want to have something that’s very far to me and tells me that you can look, say and talk in this way.

Which art excites you?

Music often excites me, because I wanted to work on music in the childhood age.

In your opinion, what’s the communication between reality and imagination?

Human sees reality in life. Well, it’s very good. Right?

But if you pay attention to the existing realities in artwork,

it’ll become empty of the artistic thought and imagination anymore.

For example, think that Márquez (Colombian novelist) said in his “One Hundred Years of Solitude” novel that a boy was born with tail of pig.

Well, because of bringing up in an artwork, everybody become surprised of this and say it’s impossible.

Márquez said that if you hear this from radio or television as news and read it from newspaper

that “attention, attention! a boy was born with tail of pig last night.”, everybody will believe.

If artwork lacks imagination, dream and so on, it won’t settle down.

The works are reread that are equivocal, flaky and mazed – according to Borges (Argentine writer).

Well, why is the Magic realism brought up much?

Because it’s flaky – it seems that you come in an undiscovered country and you’re finding and discovering something.

How do you keep balance between the real world and imagination?

It’s impossible to remove these two from artist – I mean if you remove imagination from art, it won’t have anything.

Well, this’s imagination that saves art

I mean it increases the mystique of artwork or makes it mystic or in another way, another reality is made.

Imagination or dream [appears in] in art and literature, but it doesn’t appear in our really life at all.

When you pay the rent, it’s impossible to pay 5000 [tomans] imaginarily to the owner of house

he laughs at you! He doesn’t accept it.

It doesn’t differ between baker, butcher and anybody else. [Imagination] doesn’t have any use here.

It is in the context, field and way that you made for yourself to save you most.

What do you do with the opposition between reality and imagination?

See, you come out from the reality for some moments and go to another world. Right?

For example, you listen to music – you come out from [the reality] for some moments anymore.

I mean you get separated from alley, street, the sound of ambulance [siren], scuffle and any other things ac tually

any incident that’s possible to happen for contemporary mankind.

Coming out [from reality] means that you make another life for yourself – though temporarily,

but I’m saying that if there wasn’t this temporary coming out, what would we do really?

Well, we would miss everything. Even it’s possible that you pay attention to the reality more severely.

In my opinion, this’s for someone who look less.

It’s not the role of an artist or art – for example – that asks us to gentleness. No!

Sometime it asks to revolt accidentally, move and stimulate.

For example, is the artwork of revolutionary Mexican painters out of this context? No

but we see some beauties there that aren’t the same as the real life

I mean somethings become big and small there, for showing being outnumbered and the show of their interior more.

In this way, they work on Expressionism that’s very powerful and strong

we speak of them, such as Rivera (Mexican painter) and many others.

Which advice do you have for young people?

I’m saying that work really in your work’s context – don’t deceive yourself. Work really.

When my offspring had a little age – the first grade – I saw that he didn’t study violin well.

I put the violin in the closet and lock it.

I told him if you really want to play and practice, I’ll open the closet.

And I opened the closet, when he didn’t put down the instrument.

This incident can happen to other young people and has happened,

but I’m saying that they don’t have any arena for expressing and showing [their talents].

Sometimes, I despair of my generation, because we drive each other away – it was really unfair.

Why do I think that if Behzad Farahani (Iranian actor) is given hell in theatre’s context, it will be very good?!

This’s very bad.

The generation after me – these young people – must walk and live on a safer earth.

The earth has become bad for them.

What’s your greatest wish?

My greatest wish is that people achieve a proportional welfare and there isn’t any bizarre dividing.

I don’t know – I approve renown for people much.