Fereydoun Ave

Fereydoun Ave is part of the first generation of Iranian contemporary artists. Working in mixed media inspired by traditional Middle Eastern ideologies alongside pop aesthetics, Ave draws on his experience of living in Europe, America and Iran. Prior to the Iranian Revolution, he worked as a stage designer and television set advisor. Afterwards, he decided to stay in the country and concentrate on his visual art practice, continuously addressing the ever-changing sociopolitical structures of Iran, and the world more globally. His abstract, colourful paintings often depict and follow the story of Rustam, the male hero from the Shahnama, an epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi for Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in 10th century. Contemplating the Iranian male identity both from the past and present, Ave creates colourful, collage-like abstractions, reminiscent of those by his friend and mentor Cy Twombly. In the 1980s, Ave founded Iran’s first visual culture centre and alternative art space 13 Vanak Street. A mentor to generations of artists, Fereydoun Ave’s contribution to Iranian contemporary art scene cannot be overstated.