A1one

A1one
A1one
Born	1981; Tehran, Iran
Occupation(s)	Visual creator, graffiti artist, street artist
Years active	Late 1990s–present
Known for	Introducing graffiti and street art to Iran; pioneering Iranian calligraffiti

A1one (born 1981; pronounced alone; ) is the artistic alias of Karan Reshad, an Iranian visual creator recognized as a trailblazer in introducing graffiti and street art to Iran. His artistic journey commenced in Tehran, where he played a foundational role in bringing urban art to the local scene.

Life and career

A1one was born in 1981 and experienced his formative years amid Iran's wartime and reform period (1997–2005). He pursued a five-year education at the Faculty of Art and Architecture in a Tehran university. During his studies, he painted graffiti on university walls to protest student issues but was expelled due to disputes related to religious regulations.

After this expulsion, A1one escalated his graffiti activities throughout Tehran, becoming the first artist to adorn the city’s walls with urban art. His chosen name symbolizes this pioneering role. From the late 1990s onward, he was instrumental in developing the Middle Eastern urban art movement by introducing graffiti and stencil techniques to Iran, where these forms were previously unfamiliar.

In 2005, his acquaintance with rapper Nima further deepened his involvement with graffiti culture. His inaugural significant mural, titled Searching for Friends, appeared beneath the Tehran-Karaj expressway. Starting street art endeavors in 2003, he motivated fellow artists like Elle, Isba, K.T., and Magoi to participate, collectively using public spaces as platforms for social commentary despite potential dangers.

"When I chose to create my paintings on walls, I purchased spray cans — at that time only low-quality paints were available in Iran. My initial work was a simple piece called 'searching for friends,' painted late at night on a wall beside the Tehran-Karaj expressway. It was a terrifying experience... The following morning, three friends contacted me after recognizing my painting style. They were amazed to see my work publicly displayed. My first stencil was an interpretation of Munch's Scream on the Art University walls, after which I experimented with various methods but have continued focusing on stencils, graffiti, and sticker art."

In 2007, A1one created the cover art for Young and Defiant in Iran, an ethnographic publication by Shahram Khosravi. The following year, he showcased 40 pieces at Melbourne’s Stencil Festival—his debut exhibition outside an authoritarian regime—allowing him to present his creations free from fear of censorship or retaliation.

By 2010, A1one had become a prominent figure within Tehran’s youth culture and was central to the expansion of Iranian street art.

Style

A1one’s vibrant portfolio includes portraits, calligraphic works, and unique characters frequently featured in his sticker designs. His art fuses Persian calligraphy with Western graffiti, earning acclaim in Art Asia Pacific Magazine.

He originated an Iranian variant of calligraffiti by merging hip-hop graffiti styles with Persian script. This approach holds significant esteem throughout the Islamic graffiti community, with notable Arabic letter murals dating back to 2004.

Group shows (selected)

2005 "Portrait and Expression", Behzad Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2006 "Start Propaganda II", Los Angeles, USA
2007 "Process Invisible", Street Level Gallery, Portland, USA
2007 "Resist", La Condition Pablique, Roubaix, France
2007 "Spray 2007", Mehrin Art Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2008 "Iranian Contemporary Artists Expo", Molavi Organization Hall, Tehran, Iran
2008 "Visual Slang", Henry Art Settlement, New York, USA
2008 "400 ML", Paris, France
2008 "Melbourne Stencil Festival 08", Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2008 "Spray1387", Arete Gallery, Tehran, Iran
2008 "12 Inch Art", Winnipeg, Canada
2008 "Vinyl Killers", Portland, USA
2009 "Your Kid Can't Do This" / Group show touring Australia
2009 "Visual Slang III", New York
2009 "Urban Art Agenda", Melbourne / Brisbane, Australia
2009 "Brot And Kunst", Famous When Dead Gallery, Melbourne
2009 Group Show / Seyhoun Art Gallery / Tehran
2010 "Public Provocations", Carhartt Gallery – Weil am Rhein, Germany
2015 "Urban Art Biennale 2015", Völklingen, Germany
2017 "Signs of the Time", Gold Coast City Gallery, Australia

Solo Exhibitions

2005 "Alone / Pain Things", Seyhoun Art Gallery, Tehran, IRAN
2006 "October 1385", Mehrin Art Gallery, Tehran, IRAN
2007 "I am Not Political" (private), Kolahstudio, Tehran, IRAN
2008 "Spray it to the nation", Mehrin Art Gallery, Tehran, IRAN
2010 Ishq, Mathgoth Galerie, Paris, France
2010 Solo Exhibition, Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran, IRAN
2013 The First Sign, Mathgoth Galerie, Paris, France
2019 From another world, S.F. Gallery, Essen, Germany

Publications

2002 Turn the Night – Author and Translator; influential Persian book on Rock and heavy metal music / Mess Publications IRAN /
2007 Street Art and the War on Terror / Rebellion Books UK /
2008 Young and Defiant in Tehran / University of Pennsylvania Press /
2008 Arabesque / Die Gestalten Verlag Germany /
2008 Stencil Nation / ManicdPress USA /
2008 400 ml / Kitchen93 /
2009 Stickers2 / Die Gestalten Verlag Germany /
2009 The Ark / Systems-Design Limited Hong Kong /
2009 Urban IRAN / Markbatty Publisher USA /
2010 Street Knowledge by King Adz / Collins UK/Overlook Press US /
2011 Graffiti 365 by Jayson Eddin / Abrams US /

External links