Derakhshani was born in the small village of Sangsar and brought up in a nomad family. He painted avidly from the age of 8, under the instruction of his elder brother. In 1976 he graduated from the Art school at Tehran University and that same year left for the USA to study at the Pasadena Art Centre in California. Upon his return to Iran he taught Art and Graphic Design at Tehran University but was forced to leave the country in 1983. Derakhshani explored many diverse art forms before reaching artistic fulfillment as a contemporary painter. His work is known for its diversity and originality. He has achieved worldwide recognition mainly for his fearless exploration of form and style. After living both in New York and Italy for a number of years Derakhshani returned to Iran in 2002.
The artist is also an extremely accomplished musician and often combined the visual and musical arts. This has led to a number of collaborations with famous musicians and poets such as Madonna, Jamshid Shemirani and Branford Marsalis. He has also had several international and local exhibitions including the NYU, Brooklyn Museum and Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Sackler Gallery in Washington and the Museo Maxxi in Rome. Resent commissions also include creating contemporary frescoes for a chapel in Tuscany and decorating the London home of the British singer Sting. He currently lives and works between the USA, Tehran and Europe.
Reza Derakhshani
