Iran is bold and brimming with creative people — those who are deeply inspired by the country they live in, or once called home. Themes of memory, nostalgia, belonging and endurance often return, yet each artist interprets them in strikingly different ways. What all their work shares, however, is a sense of layering: you need to look closely to find its core, to read between the lines, to grasp what it was truly meant to express. And perhaps, at another time, come back to it — to uncover something new, to admire it all over again.

As for this list — choosing only six artists was no easy task, so a second chapter will almost certainly follow.

Shahram, the Iranian artist now living between the United States and Germany, began his artistic career at a remarkably young age. Perhaps that is why, by the age of just 23, he had already opened his own gallery in Shiraz — a space that quickly became a gathering point for poets, artists and writers. Unlike many of his Iranian contemporaries, Shahram’s work carries no political or ideological agenda. Instead, it is infused with nostalgia and cultural memory, often drawing on images of rural Iranian life, portraits of people, and the timeless verses of Persian poetry.

As with many creatives, Shahram has a distinctive personal trait — one that has become central to his practice. He refuses to begin on a blank white canvas. For him, the story must already exist within the surface — whether that is an old piece of fabric, a scrap of worn cardboard, or even a pizza box.

Beyond painting, Shahram has also built a successful career as a film production designer, most notably earning the Golden Lion for his work on "Women Without Men".

Shadi Yousefian is a young Iranian artist whose work could be summed up by the motto "Destroying to create." And there is good reason for this: much of her practice begins with fragmentation. She cuts up and reworks personal archives — photographs, diaries, calendars, layers of paint and textures — before bringing them back together in new forms.

The idea behind this process is to reflect her own experience of migration and reinvention. Though her themes vary, they often revolve around notions of abstract identity, built from fragments of the past that are carried into the present and continue to shape the self. Her works also speak to the idea of fading memory — how small, fragile traces can still hold the weight of longing and belonging.

For years, Foroozan Shirghani balanced her artistic and academic careers, lecturing in painting and drawing at two institutions in Tehran by 2015. But everything changed when she decided to move to Los Angeles, devoting herself fully to her multidisciplinary practice. And when I say multidisciplinary, I truly mean it: her art spans painting, drawing, ceramic sculpture, abstract video, installation and textiles.

Even so, her most recognised works remain her acrylic and oil paintings on canvas. These pieces share a defining characteristic — they explore psychological trauma born out of social inequalities. While her approach is often surrealistic, presenting not literal depictions of people or systems but allegories, the underlying messages remain clear. At the heart of her art lies a critique of injustices, transformed into a poetic visual language.

Shirin Neshat is a visual artist whose work weaves together photography and poetry — a signature style that has earned her international recognition for her explorations of identity, gender and cultural belonging. Sound and voice are also central to her work, often created in collaboration with Iranian-American composer Sussan Deyhim, whose music accompanies Neshat’s installations.

Neshat is perhaps best known not for a single artwork but for her series "Women of Allah" (1993–1997). This black-and-white photos portrays veiled women, their skin and clothing inscribed with Persian calligraphy.

Although created in the years following the Iranian Revolution, the series isn't political. Instead, its aim is to challenge Western stereotypes of Muslim women and to bring the female voice to the forefront. Through their gaze, Neshat shows the strength and spirit of Iranian women, presenting them as individuals with depth, courage and soul.

Meghdad is an Iranian artist, born and raised in Shiraz before later settling in Tehran. He began his career with portraiture but gradually turned his attention to flora, fauna and natural landscapes — though always in unusual and unexpected ways.

The plants and animals in his paintings often appear to be in transition, fading or entirely vanished, reflecting his concern with environmental problem. Much of this sensibility comes from his journeys across southern and central Iran, where he witnessed nature slowly disappearing. At the same time, his imagery carries a distinctly magical quality, rooted in Persian mythology and Iranian oral traditions, which Lorpour researches every time before starting his new work.

His most recognised work is not a single painting but a series called "Daryábár", which literally means “by the sea” or “land shaped by water.” Some canvases show glowing visions of deep-blue seas, while others depict dry, empty landscapes where water has long since vanished.

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