• Source: Afshin Naghouni

Afshin Naghouni is an Iranian-British visual artist, known for his controversial, larger-than-life paintings. From a critique about Naghouni’s paintings around the turn of the century: he works in an expressive and cubist style that explores every aspect of each object in his compositions, simultaneously.




Early life and education


Afshin Naghouni (Ash) was born on August 25, 1969 at Ahvaz, Iran, to Sediheh (née Mohammadzaal) and Jahangir Naghouni.
Naghouni was considered to be a child prodigy. For as long as he remembers he was holding a pen or a pencil. He started painting and drawing when he was four or five years old. As a reward, if he had good marks in school, he would go to painting classes during the summer holiday.
When Naghouni was 9 years old, he went to his first oil painting class and then began emulating the paintings of Caravaggio, John Constable and others. He won a number of regional and national painting competitions between the ages of nine and twelve.
Nagouni completed his postgraduate work at London Metropolitan University in the Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media, and Design.
When Naghouni was 24 years old, he was attending a birthday party when the building was attacked by the Islamic religious police and fell out of the building trying to escape. The fall damaged his spinal cord and left him in a wheelchair. The events surrounding Naghouni's fall were the subject of a 2014 TV documentary called Out of Focus.




Career


In the summer of 2021, Naghouni unveiled the series in London, entitled An Abstract Sense of Life.
In an interview with Maryam Eisler, Nagouni said he was inspired by Kiefer, Cecily Brown and Caravaggio. Regarding Kiefer and his larger pieces, Naghouni is inspired by Kiefer's ability to create amazing compositions within the sheer scale of his work, and adding that Kiefer is one of those few artists who has found the perfect balance between form and concept.




Selected exhibitions


2017
Group show, Beyond the Ban: Contemporary Iranian art, Susan Eley Gallery, New York City
2016
Group show, Art with an Iranian Flavour..” Capsule A selection of Contemporary Art, in partnership with Fiat Chrysler Motor Village UK and Monica Colussi, London
Group show, CONTEXT Art Miami, Shirin Gallery, Miami.
Group show, Art for Youth, including The Afshin Naghouni Reach Prize, Mall Galleries, London
2015
Solo show, Satire, Hay Hill Gallery, London
2014
Solo show, Objectification II, Go Figurative, London
2013
Group show, Paykan, the Iranian Automobile, Aun Gallery, Tehran (PaykanArtCar)
Group show, Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
Group show, Peace from the Bottom of My Art, Opera Gallery, London
2010 to 2014
Group show, Art for Youth, Mall Galleries, London
2002
Group show, Public Exhibition, ZCMI Center, Salt Lake City
Group show, Public Exhibition, Art gallery of Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, Tokyo
2001
Solo show, Afshin Naghouni Solo Exhibition, St. Rafael Gallery, London
2000 to 2009
Group show, Art for Youth, Mall Galleries, London
1997
Solo Show, Afshin Naghouni Solo Exhibition, Aaran Gallery, Tehran




Activism


Naghouni was the chairman of the Westminster Action Network on Disability.
Naghouni was one of 45 Iranian artists who demanded the releases of filmmakers Mohammad Nourizad and Jafar Panahi. Beyond the Ban was a collaboration between the Center for Human Rights in Iran and Susan Eley Fine Art, New York. It featured works from Naghouni and American-based Iranian artists including Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari, and Hossein Fatemi.




= Mahsa Amini Protests

=
After the Iranian government killed Mahsa Amini, protests that started at Mahsa’s funeral soon erupted throughout Iran, then quickly in cities around the world. Very soon into the protests, there were renewed talks of bringing down the Islamic regime; moreover, such ambitions would need leaders.
On October 1, 2022 BBC News have an interview with Naghouni regarding to the protests in Trafalgar SquareBBC News asked for Naghouni’s thoughts about the growing movement, Naghouni mentioned how powerful these protests were for human rights, globally; the protests were of utmost significance in the world.
On October 20, 2022 Naghouni talked to Roqe Media’s Jian Ghomeshi. In a short video clip from the interview, Naghouni discusses the conceivable end of Iran’s Islamic state. Confirmations are mounting that the protesters may be undermining the government.
Naghouni explained that there have been many protests in Iran since the Iranian Revolution. Every time there’s a protest, there is talk that it could be the one that topples the Islamic regime. The death of Mahsa Amini was a cumulative breaking point. Naghouni was vehement and measured, in asserting that these latest protests would mark the beginning of the end for Iran's Islamic regime. Full interview.
With global protests increasing following the death of Mahsa Amini, leading Iranian artists Afshin Naghouni, Soheila Sokhanvari, Fari Bradley, Bijan Daneshmand, Maryam Eisler and Afsoon, gathered in London to give their support to the work of Human Rights Watch in Iran, as well as two additional charities currently working with the people of Iran.




See also



Reactions to the Mahsa Amini protests
List of British Iranians




References






External links



Official website

Afshin Naghouni on Facebook

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Afshin Naghouni
• Afshin
• Kianush Sanjari
• Shirin Neshat
• List of Iranians
• September–October 2022 attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan
• List of Iranian artists
• List of British Iranians
• Sheida Soleimani
• Fatemeh Sepehri