Farhad Alavi Mehr was born on Dec. 6, 1948 on the island of Abadan, off the coast of Northern Persian Gulf, Iran. He was the first of four children in his family. After the separation of his parents at the age of four, he went on to live with his father who couldn’t always be present to guide him through the challenges of life. His hometown was in a British run oil region, so his early interest in painting was inspired by European teaching material used in pre-school including illustrations of flowers, butterflies and other animals.Shortly after his father’s retirement, they moved to Tehran.
Separated from his mother and unwatched by his father, Farhad found an outlet in art and his interest intensified as he felt compelled to draw and paint. His early work as a school boy was the reproduction of pictures found in his school materials with great realism. As he went on to high school, art was a subject of its own which encouraged him to pursue his talent.The city offered a selection of art galleries and bookshops that exposed him to the diversity of the country’s culture. He would explore the local Jewish markets and was fascinated with Persian antiquities. He became so enamoured with fine traditional ceramics and ornamentation that he got a job and rose to local fame repairing valuable antiques. His hand in reproducing historical painting on broken ceramics became well known in the industry, and he was sought out to repair the finest antiquities. Specifically, he became an expert in repairing missing paintings on Chinese porcelains, unearthed ceramic objects and miniature paintings on pen boxes called ‘ghalandon’. Despite the advice of those who thought he had a good future in the antique repairing industry, Farhad left to finish high school.He studied the historical work of Hussain Behzad, notable painter of the time who specialized in classic Persian miniatures. Farhad even went so far as to find the home of Behzad and ask him to mentor his painting career, but the famed artist was too old to do so.His work with ceramics could not continue until he was hired by the national airline after his military service as this sort of art required time and money. He was later introduced to Sufism and the technique of painting with precise geometric patterns. His work evolved from an interest in reproducing miniatures to reflect his new found passion for Sufi geometric art.Those years were filled with political unrest. During his university career pursuing a business degree, Farhad spoke out against the dictatorship in the late 60’s and was the target of violent interrogations by the secret police known as the SAVAK, for his outspoken criticism.He continued to produce his work and eventually had a prestigious art show at Iran’s Museum of Glass & Ceramics in 1989. The show garnered so much success that the 10 day show was extended to a 7 month run. The Iranian Minister of Fine Arts called his work a ’national treasure’. At that time Ayatollah Khomeini had risen to power, and Farhad decided it was time to take his family and leave Iran. Farhad moved his wife and children to Brussels, Belgium. He continued his work and attended a ceramics class at the prestigious “Beaux Arts” at the University of Brussels. He began to experiment with the Japanese ceramic technique of ‘Raku’ as well as painting traditional Persian calligraphy on paper instead of ceramic. His student work was so successful that two of his pieces were chosen for the school’s collection. During his time in Europe he contacted the prestigious auction house Bonham’s in London who was interested in selling some of his ceramic work, but revoked his submission due to political slogans written on them. His travel ended in Canada in 1995 where he has resided with his family ever since. He arrived with relatively little and began driving a cab to support his family. His marriage ended in 1996 but his desire to create this work did not. His work began to revolve around a traditional Persian calligraphy styles called Thulth(sols) and Kufic. He began to experiment with the raw forms of the ornamental script. The themes of each painting began to revolve around the writing of Persian poets and philosophers. Farhad translated these sketches of historical written works into his most recent collection offered to the public. This series is a vibrant expression of his Middle Eastern past and his current Western lifestyle. Farhad Alavi Mehr continues to live and work in Toronto, Canada. Along with his current collection of paintings, he is also working on a series of bronze sculptures. |
This current collection by artist Farhad Alavi Mehr spans 1992 – 2008 and is the cornerstone of his career as a painter. This series of paintings reflect his passion for his Persian history and his desire to express the beauty and complexities of the culture. He uses traditional Thulth & Kufic ornamental calligraphic styles and manipulates the forms, stretching and intertwining letters to create a distinctly graphic work. The colour palettes are carefully chosen by the artist and are totally instinctive. Although Farhad is ultimately committed to his Persian traditions, the paintings seem to reflect a modern, almost graffiti like sensibility, creating a completely refreshing vision of a man with one foot in his middle eastern past, and one foot in the present western world.
Farhad chooses traditional Persian poetry and philosophy that is meaningful to him, and creates instinctive and visually engaging painting that embrace his commitment to his middle eastern roots, but also can’t help but be influenced by his urban roots in Toronto, Canada.
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