Introducing Iranian painters

Hossein Behzad

Hossein Behzad, a great and known painter and in fact a miniaturist, son of Fazllolah Esfahani was born in 1895 and died in 31 October 1968. His father, Fazllolah Esfahani was expert in making penner and watercolor painting. By force of his father, Hossein Behzad started working in penner workshop of Molla Ali penner maker when he was seven. Shortly after, his father passed away and Hossein Behzad experienced difficult childhood and adolescence.
Poverty and extra pressure from his stepfather made his life bitter and difficult. However, after death of his master, at first, started working for Mirza Hasan portrayer and by developing the quality and quantity of his work, Hossein Behzad showed his talent in learning miniature and soon became famous and implemented many orders received by Mirza Hassan customers.
Hossein Behzad, specially was excellent in copy old miniature works which European and dealers were interested in. Hossein Behzad established his own miniature workshop in 18 years old and quickly his works was received great interest. He specially copy works of Kamaleddin Behzad and Reza Abbasi who were known and pioneer miniaturists of Safavid dynasty.
Hossein Behzad visited Europe several times to study classic and modern European painting works. Also his works exhibited in America, Europe and Iran galleries and was met with warm reception.
Many exquisite and precious miniature pictures by Hossein Behzad as technical expert of Archeology organization and also miniature teacher of Tehran conservatory has left including:
Madaen Ivan, Ferdowsi and Shahnameh Heroes, Avicenna beside the bed of love patient , (two different paints), owners of black gold, Shiraz Hafez, midnight of Hafez, Night of Hafez, thoughts of Avicenna, Khayyam advice (two different paints), Rose girl (three different paints), The Fiction, Two lovers, Moses and the Shepherd, sweet dream, Bahram and Golandam, look, spring and springtime, Creation from Omar Khayyam point of view, Coquetry, Kaveh uprising, Mysteries of eternity, Mutiny, Khosrow Parviz, looking for the man of incomplete picture, Heaven and Hell, Coquetry and Khayam.

Morteza Katoozian

Morteza Katoozian was born in 3 July 1943 in an average family loved art, in Tehran. He loved painting from childhood and spent all time to learn this art without any trainer. In 1960 he started painting and graphic professionally.
In the field of graphic, he has many posters, logos, book covers and catalogues. In 1974, he was responsible of holding international exhibition of Tehran Graphic, entitled Africa Hungers by I.A.A international organization, and implemented it successfully and could obtained award for solidarity poster.
He was one of the founders of graphics Syndicate before Iran revolution and was two years as board of directors. In last years, he has participated in many group exhibitions and held four individual exhibitions. All his exhibitions due to high quality of works and paintings with theme of humanity and related issues were the most visited exhibitions of Iran art history.
For example, the exhibition of his paintings in Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in 1989, had 20 thousands visitors statistically. After His last exhibition with 94 paintings that was held in Saadabad cultural historical complex in 18 Jun 2008, UNESCO in a gorgeous ceremony gave him appreciation award in recognition of his 50 years work in the field of painting and 30 years of teaching art to young Iranians.
During 30 years of teaching painting in his small atelier, he trained tens painters in art community. He held three group exhibitions for introducing his students and encouraging them, and participated in one of their exhibitions in Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. By his attempting in 2005, a book of his students’ paintings published and was welcomed by the people. Now some of his students are famous painters and artists of Iran and each one train students in their painting schools.
Four books of Morteza Katoozian’s paintings published ever and many works of him presented as posters. Five works of him are maintaining in Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and a lot of collectors and foreign collections maintain his works in different countries.
He spent his leisure times by exercise. In 1970 got Karate black belt for the first time in Iran. Next years he trained competent students. Now he has 7th Don Black belt and is one of the pioneers of this sport.

Nasrin Khosravi

Nasrin Khosravi was born in 20 December 1950 in Tehran and graduated in field of graphic from College of Fine Arts in 1979. Her books covers include: “Wimble Pumpkin, Snow White, Come live together and Girl of dreams garden”.
She could obtain several national and international awards. Khosravi obtained the first award of 2000 Noma Festival for the book “Girl of dreams garden” and also was engaged for international award of Hans Chiristian Anderson in 2001 as the best Iranian imager.