Morteza Asadi (born in 1957 in Tehran), is a prolific painter and art professor holding a Ph.D. in Art Research from Shahed University, Tehran, and a Ph.D. in art History from Sorbonne University, France. Asadi has been awarded the grand prize of visual art from the Fajr International Festival and the grand prize in artistic painting from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. He has been also been a member of the Painters Association of Paris, the Association of Iranian Painters, and an active participant as a referee in many art festivals and events across the world. Attending national and international art competitions, he has received awards and honors such as the third winner of stamp postage designing in 45th anniversary of human rights universe notice in Japan.
Asadi’s abstract paintings are predominantly marked by ultramarine hues, reminiscent of Persian miniatures, and multilateral cubes inscribed with elements of nature. These elements are delicately interwoven to encompass concepts such as freedom, isolation, solitude, and the elevation of spirit. In many of his artworks, the loneliness of solitary trees amidst the passage of time is set against a poetic and celestial background, nourished by hidden myths. Clouds that hold the grief of lament create a delicate and skillful fusion of earth and sky without distorting either. Blossoms that open and wither with blood, the moon as a fragmented body covering the eternal wounds of humanity, and a forest that conceals the turmoil and unrest of existence in its silent night all contribute to this narrative. Specters that are not frightening but tell the story of our painful shadows, branches that grow, leaves that fall, and petals of jasmine mourning the wounded diamonds all sit at the feet of the small candle narrative of ongoing pain and sorrow. All of this is expressed through the language of art, in paintings that have journeyed from yesterday to today and pave a path to the future of humanity. While allowing for the enjoyment of observing beautiful patterns and images, these works do not release their grip on the eyes of the heart and soul.
Art critic Sohrab Hadi praises Asadi’s compositions for their profound geometric idiosyncrasies within colorful flat surfaces that extend to the edges of the canvas. He describes them as “an impactful display of nontransparent colors and well-calculated empty spaces that have swallowed many of the enclosed figures at first glance.” Naser Seifi remarks that “blending elements and living personae with surrounding objects and the image of a shared and tumultuous space draws the gaze from a seemingly static painting to a dynamic display of parallel worlds, with contrasts and symmetries that move and influence around us.”
Mortaza Asadi’s paintings are fundamentally unique in terms of technique, form, and composition, especially in his use of color to convey emotions and a sense of connection. Asadi’s world is replete with contrasts and symmetries. Rather than studying nature per se, his approach is a kaleidoscopic blend of Western and Eastern techniques and worldviews, an intersection of craft and intuition.
The cover art for volume #07 of The Persian Literature Review is by Morteza Asadi: detail from an untitled painting, acrylic on canvas. For more works by this artist see here
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