Artist Focus: Jeyran Mahdavi
Painter – IRAN
Jeyran Mahdavi is a free painter who works with love. She admires painting ever since her childhood. Painting is attached to her life, even to her academic education. She has changed her style in 16 and developed it to reach her current style. She uses colors and unique form to declare her feelings and affections. Behind her life experiences, human being and his affection is the focus of attention in her art. Changing forms and using bright colors are the characteristics of her paintings.
Jeyran describes her style and says: “human beings, or to be more specific women, are the main focus of my paintings that shows off with excitements such as love, beauty, fear, and even mother’s affection; as if it wants to drive everyone’s attention. Sometimes it gets so fragile and confusing that can fill someone’s heart with pain.”
What made you interested in painting? Why have you decide to follow this path?
I have started painting since I was five years old. I had a special room in my grandma’s house, the walls of which was covered with my paintings. I had the love of painting with me since my childhood, and it became more purposeful as I grew up.
Mr. Kaveh Dadash-Zade, who was engaged with children’s painting and was my grand mother’s neighbor, was my painting teacher. I used to take his classes from 5 to 12-13. In his class, every day was different from the other. It was full of stories, poems, colors, laughter and learning. His method, which is now used in teaching art to children, was quite unique at that time. He held few exhibitions from his student’s artworks and published those works in books. My early paintings were a part of his exhibitions and books.
I must say that he was one of the most efficient people of my life who guided me in the roads of painting with knowledge. He taught me how to see things, and gave me the courage to paint, draw and expressing myself visually with no concern and fear. He gave me the courage to picture my mind since my childhood. Expressing my thoughts, mentality and feelings with courage and venture has been the paradigm of my life.
Does any special style or master influence you?
I believe there is no definite answer to this question. I cannot confirm it or reject it easily. Humans are impressible beings. All of us are impressed by each other either consciously or unconsciously just by leaving or working together.
That’s the same thing about painting. When you are turning the pages of an art magazine, a painting book or an illustrated book; it will influence your art because of their effect on the subconscious part of your mind. I have never imitated someone or a special style intentionally. One can see that my painting process has followed a specific way throughout these years; although I have studied with different masters and teachers in Varity of styles.
Are you working with your personal concerns or with the aim of exhibiting your art?
Holding an exhibition is my very last aim. I rejected to participate in numerous exhibitions due to their contradiction to my working procedure and emotional aspects. I paint with my affections and feelings, feelings that are different in every second. There is a different story and a new experience behind every single work of mine. Some of my works are inspired by the most private feelings of mine, that I cannot stand putting them in front of the viewer’s curious eyes. I paint with my feelings and my life, and are not aimed to please the viewers. I do not paint with the aim of satisfying the others in an exhibition.
How can an artist express new ideas? Do you believe in repetition or innovation?
I believe that expressing new thoughts with new ideas or sticking to expressing the same thing over and over again is a personal thing that depends on the artist. Some artists prefer to paint with the aim of pleasure, while some others try to declare something with their art. The point is whether an artist wants to have a fresh expression or not. This is an important personal choice.
During the history, many painters pained with a general trend, without expressing a certain thought; but having a fresh attitude and expression is highly important in this area. I don’t believe in completely changing attitude. Unfortunately, we are witnessing these kinds of changes frequently these days; artists that are changing every single day to satisfy the others. Painters’ fresh attitudes must serve the art of painting, not the contrary.
Sine my painting root in my daily affections and feeling toward love and hatred, my art changes unconsciously everyday.
What are your paintings based on? How could you end up in this brevity?
Human, and to be more specific, woman and her feelings is the main concern of my art; it can be inner beauty or moral expression, that unique coquetry or charm, encouragement or fear, ugly, sad or self-contained, full of mothers’ love, cruel, or demanding excellence and trying to rule the world. These concepts are showing off with a high self-confidence in few bright colors as if it wants to owe all the attention of the world; but sometimes it gets too weak and fragile which can fill ones heart with pain.
What were the effects of your experiences on your art and more specifically on your color choice?
one of the specifications of my painting is changing forms and using bright colors with the aim of emphasizing on emotions in order to declare the superiority of pure feeling and rebelling against cumbersome conventions of art and society. These experiences encouraged me to communicate with others and be able to stand for their horrifying wounded feelings or picture their excited happiness with bright colors and twisted lines. My paintings that are maintained with the dance of forms and colors are fantasy visualizations rather than reality pictures.
