Massoud Arabshahi
Referencing pre-Islamic Near and Middle Eastern cultures, painter and sculptor Massoud Arabshahi (b. 1935, Tehran, Iran–d. 2019, Tehran) created work that blends tradition with modernity and incorporates futuristic elements. Arabshahi held his first solo exhibition in 1964 at the Iran-India Centre, Tehran. He earned a BA in Sculpture and Painting from the College of Decorative Arts at Tehran University in 1965, followed by an MA in Interior Design from the same institution in 1967.
Greatly influenced by Achaemenid, Assyrian, and Babylonian reliefs found in Iran and Iraq, Arabshahi’s style consistently merges tradition with modernity, while pushing the boundaries between two and three dimensions. His murals and bas-reliefs combine Futurist aesthetics with traditional Persian and Zoroastrian motifs, resulting in an organic fusion of the two. This distinctive approach has led to his recognition as a key figure in the Saqqakhaneh School, a movement known for reinterpreting Iran’s artistic heritage—including its materials, motifs, styles, and techniques—in a contemporary manner.
Arabshahi’s work has been widely exhibited in Iran, including the Two Modernist Iranian Pioneers show alongside Charles Hossein Zenderoudi at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (2001). His art has also been featured internationally, including in Iran Modern at The Asia Society in New York (2013) and Iranian Contemporary Art at the Barbican Centre, London (2001). Notable large-scale commissions include works for the Conference Centre in Tehran’s Arg Square (1969), the Office for Industry and Mining in Tehran (1971), and the California Insurance Building in Santa Rosa, USA (1985). His work is included in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The British Museum (London), and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.
Greatly influenced by Achaemenid, Assyrian, and Babylonian reliefs found in Iran and Iraq, Arabshahi’s style consistently merges tradition with modernity, while pushing the boundaries between two and three dimensions. His murals and bas-reliefs combine Futurist aesthetics with traditional Persian and Zoroastrian motifs, resulting in an organic fusion of the two. This distinctive approach has led to his recognition as a key figure in the Saqqakhaneh School, a movement known for reinterpreting Iran’s artistic heritage—including its materials, motifs, styles, and techniques—in a contemporary manner.
Arabshahi’s work has been widely exhibited in Iran, including the Two Modernist Iranian Pioneers show alongside Charles Hossein Zenderoudi at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (2001). His art has also been featured internationally, including in Iran Modern at The Asia Society in New York (2013) and Iranian Contemporary Art at the Barbican Centre, London (2001). Notable large-scale commissions include works for the Conference Centre in Tehran’s Arg Square (1969), the Office for Industry and Mining in Tehran (1971), and the California Insurance Building in Santa Rosa, USA (1985). His work is included in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The British Museum (London), and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.