Saghar Pezeshkian
Biography
Saghar Pezeshkian (born March 22, 1962, Tehran) is an Iranian painter, visual arts educator, and graduate of the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. For over three decades, she has been a prominent figure in Iran’s contemporary art scene through her teaching, exhibitions, and distinctive body of work.
Life and Education
Saghar Pezeshkian was born in 1962 in Tehran. She completed her secondary education at the Girls’ School of Visual Arts (1979–1980) before moving to France. In 1990, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Painting from the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (Beaux-Arts de Paris), one of the world’s most renowned art institutions.
Professional Activities
Upon returning to Iran in 1991, Pezeshkian began a long career in art education, teaching painting, drawing, and the fundamentals of visual arts at various universities and institutions until 2014, including:
– Shahid University
– Faculty of Cultural Heritage
– Al-Zahra University
– Islamic Azad University
– University of Art, Zahedan
– University of Tehran
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
– Mah Gallery, 2012, Tehran
– Mah Gallery, 2010, Tehran
– Aria Gallery, 2001, Tehran
– Cologne, Germany, 2002
– Aria Gallery, 1999, Tehran
Selected Group Exhibitions
– Beaux-Arts Alumni Group Exhibition, Hoor Gallery, 2009, Tehran
– House of Artists, 2012 and 2007, Tehran
– Saba Gallery, 2008, Tehran
– Iranian Painters Association Group Exhibition, 2008, Tehran
– Niavaran Cultural Center, 2008, Tehran
– Women Painters Group Exhibition, UNESCO, Paris, 2003
– 5th Painting Biennial of Iran, 2000
– Professors Group Exhibition, Khāvarān Cultural Center, 2001, Tehran
– Mat Gallery Group Exhibition, 2004, Tehran
– Iranian Students at Beaux-Arts Group Exhibition, Paris, 1985
Her most recent solo exhibition, titled Absent Presence, was held in 2014 at Inja Gallery, marking her tenth solo show and her first collaboration with that gallery.
Style and Approach
Pezeshkian’s paintings often explore abstract and contemplative themes of presence, absence, memory, and identity. The influence of her Beaux-Arts training is evident in her work, yet she seamlessly integrates Persian cultural roots through color, form, and concept, creating a distinctive visual language.
Video Index
Chapters:
１. Life and Education Period
２. Teaching at University
３. Selected Works and Exhibitions
４. Soroush-e Nojavān Magazine
５. Experiences and Working Methods
– The impact of artistic activity on lifestyle
– Balance between personal life and professional life
– Difficulties at the beginning of the professional path
– Subject selection
– Creating a work: from idea to execution
– Period of work hiatus
– The best advice received from others
– Materials and tools used
– Naming of artworks
– The concept of painting
– Sources of inspiration
– The greatest challenge
– The key to persistence and success
– Daily routine
– Vision for future work
– Favorite period of one’s career
– Traces of Iranian culture and traditions in the works
– The state of sales of artworks
６. Painting
– Characteristics and differences between older and newer generations of painting students
– The state of painting education in Iranian universities
– The place of drawing/design in painting education
– Influential artists in contemporary Iranian painting
– Iranian painting and national identity
– Characteristics and differences among three generations of contemporary Iranian painters
– Features of an enduring artwork
– New art forms (video art, performance, etc.)
– Globalization and national identity
– Modern art
– The current state of painting in Iran
– Tehran Auction
– The general public’s relationship with painting
– Painting and virtual space (social media)
７. The Influence of the Audience on Works
– Reflection on exhibiting works
– Facing negative criticism
– The state of art criticism in visual arts
８. Personal Worldview
– Evolution of thought over time
– Relationship with other art forms
– Favorite artists
– If you hadn’t become a painter, what would you have liked to do?
– The world of reality and imagination
– The most astonishing phenomenon in the world
– Greatest wishes
– Advice to the younger generation
Personal Information
- Birthday: March 22, 1962
- Birthplace: Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Interview date: 19.10.2015- 11.11.2015