By Heidi Trautmann

It is nothing new that artists have to fight to find their way to self-recognition, their niche of understanding and expressing their art. How do I see the world, they ask themselves continuously. How do I find my language.

This Azerbeijani/Iranian painter, born in 1940 in Iran, author, art critic, art historian and graphic designer, who currently lives in Tehran, Iran and lectures in different Iranian Universities besides his professional work, could tell you endless stories of his fight.

One needs to know his biography to learn about his background which is the basis of his upbringing. His parents having to leave Baku for Iran for political reasons, the father who died early and the young man’s approach to the arts. His studies  and research in difficult times, his employment as Head of Artistic Affairs for the Shah, the hard times after the revolution in 1979 and his fight for survival.

In the exhibition at the EMU Activity Centre his early works, the series ‘Memories of Destruction’, the destruction of identity, were shown. Early in his career, Aghdashloo took great interest in the Renaissance and Sandro Botticelli's paintings in particular. He even used to test his own skills by copying Botticelli's works to the last detail. His admiration for Renaissance paintings leads to the creation of his "Memories of Destruction" series in the early 1970s which became his most celebrated and famous series.  In these series Aghdashloo depicts destruction of identity and beauty by painting a complete Renaissance masterpiece and then partially destroy or deface it.

If you want to learn more about this painter, look up his website for the detailed recount of his artistic road and thoughts.