Old family photos inspire Paris-based Iranian painter

TEHRAN,May 23(MNA) -- Paris-based Iranian painter Qasem Hajizadeh is displaying a series of his works inspired by old family photos at Tehran’s Asar Gallery. A combination of mixed media on paper, the exhibit by Hajizadeh is a selection of 23 paintings created over the past 33 years. The artist is not trying to depict any particular Iranian in his paintings, he only wants to reflect his longing for his homeland by recording very special moments in the lives of Iranian families, the report added. “Some of the works are done on pieces of paper first and were later attached to canvas, but in some, the piece of paper was attached first and then I did the painting,” Hajizadeh says. “My paintings are inspired by some old family photos, that is, they are actually based on a photo from a family album. The people in my works are not strangers or even relatives, they are those who I know around me and have provided me with the photos from their family albums,” he adds. Historical and religious topics are also seen in some of his works. Born in 1947 in Lahijan, Gilan Province, Hajizadeh has been living in Paris since 1986. He has taken part in many solo and group exhibits. His works are found in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Museum of Bangladesh, and several other museums in South Korea, Jordan and France. The exhibit will be running until June 6 at the gallery located at 16 Barforushan St. off Iranshahr St.