Sabzi's paintings
resonate both Eastern and Western philosophies. His rich Persian
heritage provides him with ancient images, sentimental Persian
themes and memories of innocence. The Western source of influence
comes from the modernism of Cezanne and Matisse.
Sabzi's subjects are almost always
women; beautiful, graceful, taciturn and lugubrious, they reflect
solitude. The women of Sabzi's paintings are madonna's, modern
goddesses and martyred saints whose elongated forms suggest
instability and internal conflict. Their anonymous faces transform
them into religious icons that transcend and defy the demands
of reality. Yet, other Sabzi paintings reflect warmth, charm,
happiness, and his undisputed love and admiration for women.
Here the fantastic is treated as ordinary and the rich fabrics
of Sabzi's paintings assume intimate unveilings.
"My artistic inspiration,
the very basis of form and color for my work, comes from my
childhood memories of Persian rugs designed and weaned by my
mother. As I watched her for hours creating gorgeous patterns,
hues and textures, her fingers dancing across the loom, the
designs and shapes of my current work took form. My creations
flow from the same source of energy and creativity that inspired
my mother." — Sabzi
Sabzi acknowledges in his paintings
historical, stylistic and cultural influences. The sheer luminosity
of spaces contrasting sharply with the somber moods of his figures
appears at first to be contrary but soon proves to be valid
and potent to the viewer.
Born in Ahwaz, Iran, Sabzi
started painting at the age of twelve; encouraged in his early
progression as an artist by his parents and inspiring teachers.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering
at the University of Jundi Shapur. "The best part of agriculture
was the purity of its primal spaces," he says, explaining
his early sensitivity to artistic concepts.
Sabzi's early works were primarily
realistic, exploring the historical and cultural themes of his
homeland. His departure from Iran during the Khomeini regime
brought him to Germany and then the United States. This exile
provided him the opportunity to explore new artistic influences,
and he began to work in abstract and figurative styles.
Sabzi's subjects are almost always
women – beautiful, graceful, taciturn and melancholy;
they reflect love, mystery and solitude. His women are Madonnas,
modern goddesses and martyred saints whose elongated forms suggest
instability and internal conflict. According to Sabzi, their
anonymous faces make them into religious icons that transcend
and defy the demands of reality; reflecting warmth, charm, happiness,
and his undisputed love and admiration for women.
His paintings resonates both
Eastern and Western philosophies. His rich Persian heritage
provides him with ancient images, sentimental Persian themes
and memories of innocence. He draws from the Western influence
of modernism found in the works of Klee, Cezanne, Matisse and
Bonnard.
His debt to modernism, especially
to Matisse, is irrefutable. Earthy hues of pale greens, yellows,
purples and reds illuminate the settings and inspire the forms
with unique inner vibrations. Though schematic, the treatment
of the human face as luminous geometric planes is a profound
statement of the artist's quest for spirituality.
Sabzi goes beyond Matisse and
creates spatially-revolving, post-modern worlds. Images reflected
in mirrors assume a life of their own. The effect is a powerful
multiplicity of emotional representation. Here the fantastic
is treated as ordinary and the rich fabrics of the paintings
resonate intimacy.
An accomplished abstract painter,
Sabzi's passion for the spiritual is represented in the open
spaces, symbolism and intricate patterns that make up the backgrounds
of his compositions. Juxtaposing the complex feelings, body
language and attitudes of his predominantly female figures against
a backdrop of shapes and forms in space, Sabzi uses texture,
lines and color to make artistic statements about love and beauty.
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