Sadegh Tabrizi, born in March 3, 1938 in Tehran, was a pioneering modernist artist, calligrapher, designer, painter, and leader in the calligram [نقاشیخظ] painting in Iran. Tabrizi was also one of the prominent figures of the Saqqakhaneh School of modern painting in Iran, combining elements of Iranian folk art and culture, characterized by a heavy use of symbolism. He is mentioned as the most most probable coiner of the term in early 1960s – and the creator of the first official emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Throughout his fifty years of artistic activity, he held more than thirty solo and group exhibitions, and his works were displayed in galleries and major exhibitions around the world from Italy to London, Manhattan, Paris, China, and Switzerland. His works also appear in important museums such as the Grey Art Gallery at New York University, Han China Museum, as well as significant Iranian art museums.
A critic of the prevailing trends in art auctions in Iran, Tabrizi also worked on pottery and ceramics, executing many of his calligraphic works for the first time on ceramic pieces. Moreover, he experimented with collage techniques, using various decorative pieces and combining them with Iranian motifs, miniature figures, and vibrant colors.
Tabrizi passed away in radio silence in December 4, 2017, after a period of illness in London, where he had moved for medical reasons, and was buried there.
More about Sadegh Tabrizi:
The cover art for issue number 11 of The Persian Literature Review is by Sadegh Tabrizi: detail from an annonymous painting, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas 103*137. For a full view of the original artwork, see here.
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