Ahmad Aali
Ahmad Aali | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1935 Tabriz, Iran |
| Occupation(s) | Artist, photographer, painter, drawer |
| Years active | 1950s–present |
| Known for | Photography, painting, drawing |
Ahmad Aali (born 1935; ) is a distinguished Iranian artist known for his work in photography, painting, and drawing.
Biography
Ahmad Aali was born in 1935 in Tabriz, Iran. He pursued formal education in painting and drawing at the College of Visual Arts before advancing his studies at Tehran's Kamal-ol-Molk art school. During the 1950s, his fascination with photography grew, inspired by exposure to international photographers through foreign photographic publications.
In 1963, Aali debuted his first solo exhibition at Culture Hall, presenting photographs that featured innovative angles and compositional techniques. He closely collaborated with Iran’s modernist painters and sculptors, embracing a formalist and modernist philosophy that regarded photography as more than a mere duplication of reality. Among his pioneering contributions was the creation of mosaic photographic assemblages that departed from traditional styles, initially revealed to the public in 1968 at Seyhoun Gallery.
His body of work encompasses documentary photography emphasizing repetition and sequencing, alongside hyper-realistic paintings frequently based on photographic material. Following the revolution, Aali shifted greater focus toward painting. Throughout his career, he has organized numerous solo exhibitions, including significant retrospectives held in 1997, 2010, 2012, and 2016.
Aali’s artworks are part of esteemed public collections such as those at the British Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
He is married to fellow artist Mina Nouri.
Solo exhibitions
A selection of Ahmad Aali’s solo exhibitions arranged chronologically:
- 1963 - Farhang Hall (Talar-é Farhang), Tehran, Iran
- 1965 - Ghandriz Hall (Talar-é Ghandriz), Tehran, Iran
- 1968 - Borghese Gallery, Tehran, Iran
- 1968 - Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran, Iran
- 1970 - Club de France, Tehran, Iran
- 1997 - Barg Gallery, Retrospective Exhibition of Ahmad Aali’s work, Tehran, Iran
- 2008 - Aria Gallery, Urban Landscapes: Narrated by Ahmad Aali, Tehran, Iran
- 2010 – Ahmad Aali Selection of Works, 1961–2009, Mah-e Mehr Gallery, Tehran. This exhibition covered nearly five decades of his photographic creations.
- 2012 – Aaran Gallery (Recycle), Tehran, Iran
- 2016 – Emkan Art Gallery (Ahmad Aali's Self-Portrait with G11), Tehran, Iran
- 2018 – Azad Art Gallery (Recycled 2), Tehran, Iran
Authored works
- Ahmad Aali, Selection Of Paintings And Photographs 1953–2014, Nazar Publishers, 2016, ISBN 978-6001521911
- Ahmad Aali, Selection of Works, 1961–2009, Nazar Research and Cultural Institute/Mah-e Mehr Gallery, 2010, ISBN 978-6005191943
Publications about him
- Faeghe Shokouh Nikoui (Anita), A brief review on the creative photography of Iran 40's and 50's, Azad University of Art and Architecture, 2003
- Mehrnegar Fariborz, History of the development of alternative Techniques of photography, Photomontage and photocollage, Azad University Of Art And Architecture, 2001
- Farhad Ranjbaran, Life and works of Ahmad Aali, Azad University Of Art And Architecture, 1998