Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- An exhibition of artworks created by late artist Nami Petgar opened during a ceremony at the Iranian Artists Forum on Sunday.
Nami Petgar died of a heart attack in his home in the northern Iranian city Noshahr on July 31. He was 63 years old.
A group of artists and his family members attended the opening ceremony in which a documentary featuring his life made by his brother Mani were screened for the audience, Tehran Times reported.
Late Nami’s wife Mercedeh Lesani was the first who made the opening speech and said, “Living with Nami made any talented person progress, and I was one of the thousands who learnt music, painting and poetry with him.”
Artist Ali Faramarzi was next who talked, “I am sure not many are familiar with Nami and his works, though he was so talented and had created masterpieces which were unique in its kind.”
Delara Qahremani, poet and translator who was also the student of Petgar continued, “Nami knew literature and was fond of modern literature. His painting ‘Annunciation’ in which angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary of her conception of Christ indicates how he was familiar with other religions as well.
“Petgar was in love with nature. Nature is observed in all his works and I believe he was one of the best in landscape paintings in Iran and in the world,” she remarked according to the report.
Artist and critic Behnam Kamrani was next who asked to keep records of the artists who have made great achievements in the Iran’s history of panting, adding, “I believe this is an important issue and we need to review the contemporary artists and this review will give us the chance to become familiar with different styles and how these styles were transferred to the next generations.”
Petgar was born in Tehran in 1945 and, like his father and master Ali-Asghar; he chose realism style for his works.
In 1965, he established his own painting and drawing academy in Tehran. In the 1980s, the styles of his landscapes evolved from realism towards more abstract representations and his figurative works diverged towards symbolic interpretations of Oriental models.
Petgar visited Rome, the Vatican, Florence and Paris in 1978 and was influenced by classical and modern European art, but never lost his Persian experiential perspective and identity in his work.
The exhibit will continue until October 2 at the forum which is located on Musavi St., Taleqani Ave.
