A number of art elites paid tribute to Parviz Kalantari (1931-2016), who was famous for his paintings of Iranian indigenous nomadic life and desert architectural structures, during a ceremony held at the Iranian Artists Forum on Saturday.
The ceremony was arranged to mark the first anniversary of the passing of the artist who died on May 21, 2016, Persian media reported on Sunday.
Aidin Aghdashlu, Alireza Sami-Azar, Mohammadreza Aslani, Akbar Alami and Naser Fakuhi were among the participants.
The House of Music Managing Director Mohammad Sarir talked about Kalantari’s paintings for children and especially those published in school texts.
“I feel Kalantari has gone on a trip and will return home one day; I cannot believe he is no longer among us,” he said.
Painter and art critic Aidin Aghdashlu said that he knew Kalantari for many years.
“Kalantari was a writer, a painter and a graphic designer, and the contemporary art of Iran cannot be remembered without his name,” he said.
“He paved his way without pride. These types of people will remain in the memory of others even after their death,” he said.
Art expert Sami-Azar talked about the artistic heritage of Kalantari.
“Kalantari was a great man who created precious works. Illustrations, paintings and writings were what he did, his collection of paintings of deserts and nomadic life will forever remain in the history of art,” he said.
His works demonstrate his endeavors in narrating the culture and literature of this land, he added.
Kalantari was most famous for his focus on nomadic life, making urban dwellers more familiar with those that move to and fro with the change of seasons.
He was from a generation whose main concern was making a bridge between modern paintings and the venerable cultural heritage, which is a tradition.
Source:Tehran Times