ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings all seem to reflect some type of paradise. I have been able to live in my paradise for the last five years, painting full time as a direct result from the inspiration of my wife Sandra who saw in me a passion and gift of raw talent waiting to be unleashed. My hope is that everyone would be able to live in their paradise and be able to live their life with passion and purpose. This is my paradise.
It seems fitting that the etymology of the word paradise is rooted from the Old Iranian language as I immigrated to Canada in 1988 from Iran and became a Canadian citizen. Paradise - a Persian word (pardes), properly meaning a "pleasure-ground" or "park" or "king's garden." Today in our English language it has come to mean a place of complete peace, delight and bliss.

My paintings have developed from a deep understanding of where I began in Iran to the freedom I experience today. My love for life, for the beauty of God’s creation leads me to paint with vivid color, depth and spiritual passion. My paintings reflect the great beauty and diversity of our world. My paintings come from new found places in my imagination where freedom has allowed me to play with color and to experience joy in my passion of painting. I wanted to create a place where individuals could connect with me in my journey and where they could feel freedom from their constraints in their own lives.
When viewers see my work they are immediately invited into a paradise where they feel peace, prosperity and tranquility. My paintings invite the viewer to escape into a place of simplicity and beauty, a place where the natural beauty and its existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. I make sure my paintings exude contentment so that the viewers can be drawn into a magical place that know no boundaries and that are not bound by cultural or religious beliefs. In my art each person can find their place to be part of a universal whole, where we truly are one. My paintings of paradise allow each individual to recognize that we all have a place to belong.
You will notice a unifying effect in all of my paintings. Painting from my original color palette of 34 vibrant colors each painting reflects the combination of these colors which bring feelings of joy and exhilaration. I work with brushes and palette knife and the bright, bold colors are a direct contrast to the life I knew in Iran. The viewer wants to take it all in; like when taking a breath of fresh air that provides you with new energy and perspective. My paintings of paradise are a conceptual contrast to the reality of our lives. The visitors are able to go on a journey with me through my paintings and escape into their own paradise.
My paintings allow each one of us to expose that part of our hearts which are most vulnerable. I want my paintings to engage people into that experience, where they are drawn into my art and after spending some time with it leave feeling better about themselves, their life and the world around them. My intention is to have a positive impact through my art, to have people appreciate the beauty in their own hearts and lives, and to have my art inspire others to have a positive impact on those we come into contact with each day.
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