Veteran artist Behzad Shishegaran has displayed his artworks on Tehran air pollution in his Facebook page on January 1.
Selected from the collection ‘Tehran in Coma’ created in 2000, the theme of his paintings is on the chronic air pollution in the metropolis of nearly 12 million, which is causing the prolonged temperature inversion phenomenon in the city, ISNA reports.
The item ‘Morning, Noon, Night, Variation’ clearly portrays skies of the capital in recent days when pollution rose to unprecedented levels closing schools and filling hospitals with young and old suffering from respiratory and other illnesses caused by the smog and air pollution that enveloped the metropolis for almost three weeks.
The collection, earlier on view in 2010, also highlighted the critical air pollution in Tehran at the time.
The artist has created the smog-ridden sky of the city and his non-stop coughing in 25 works portraying a grey and contaminated city, appearing and disappearing through a haze of toxic particles.
“Putting my paintings on a social media network is the least I can do, because I cannot be indifferent to such an important issue,” he said.
He is among the few artists who started showing his works online, and believes the virtual world is as significant as the real one. “In virtual space, artists can work without limitations and publish their works throughout the world. In addition, criticism is easy and possible.”
Born in Tehran, Shishegaran, 63, has a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Tehran University of Art.
He has created 18 art collections since 1971, held 11 solo exhibitions and participated in over 90 group exhibitions. He has also designed many posters.
In 1991, Shishegaran was awarded at the 1st Iranian Painting Biennial. He is also honorary member of the Painters Association of Iran and served on its board of directors from 2007 to 2011.
