Khosrow Hassanzadeh
born 1963, Tehran, Iran
lives and works in Tehran, Iran and London, UK
His fascinating, versatile oeuvre spans a wide range of media from screen-printing, painting and drawing to collages and assemblage. In his latest series Ya Ali Madad (2008-2009) and his earlier series Terrorist (2004), screen-printing and painting combine to produce powerful and complex compositions with – as in all the artist’s works – human figures as the focal point.
Hassanzadeh’s work is deeply rooted in his own culture; unlike many of his fellow Iranians, he decided to remain in his homeland to practice his art. Formally, his pieces are primarily inspired by popular culture in Iran. He sometimes paints on cheap packing paper or incorporates fruit boxes and used objects from the bazaar, combining these with calligraphy as well as religious imagery and artifacts. In terms of content, his work addresses social topics and recent Iranian history. He is not afraid to tackle controversial or delicate issues such as the Iran-Iraq war (in which he served), the position of women in Iranian society, prostitution and the war on terror.
Hassanzadeh studied in Tehran – first painting under Iranian artist Aydeen Aghdashlou and at Mojtama-e-Honar University, later on Persian literature at Azad University. In 2003 he received a grant to attend Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Alongside his painting, Hassanzadeh also works as an actor. He lives and works in Tehran. Besides numerous solo exhibitions in galleries in London, Tehran, Dubai, Beirut, Damascus and Phnom Penh, Hassanzadeh has presented his first retrospective in the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam in 2006. He has also taken part in several group exhibitions, including Iran.com: Iranische Kunst Heute (Iran.com: Iranian Art Today), Museum of Contemporary Art, Freiburg; Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East, British Museum, London (both in 2006) and Far Near Distance: Contemporary Positions of Iranian Artists, House of World Cultures, Berlin (2004).
His work is currently on show at the 53rd Venice Biennale as part of the exhibition East-West Divan: Contemporary Art from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan (until October 4, 2009), and in two group exhibitions: the Jameel Prize 2009, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (until September 13, 2009), and Iran Inside Out,¬¬¬¬¬¬ Chelsea Art Museum, New York (until September 5, 2009).
EXHIBITIONS
23.09. – 13.11.2009
Khosrow Hassanzadeh
Solo exhibition at Arndt & Partner, Berlin
Khosrow Hassanzadeh, from the series „Ya Ali Madad“, 2008/2009, silkscreen and acrylic on canvas, 180 x 225 cm | 70.87 x 88.58 in