Iranian artist Hojat Amani will put on display 15 paintings under the title 'Persian Still Life' in an exhibition at San Francisco in the US in December.
Explaining the theme of his works, the artist said, "Still life paintings emerged first in the late 16th century in the West while it was already prevalent in Iran. However Iranian artists got interested in the style only during the Qajar era (1785-1925) and the most famous painter who created works in this style is Kamal-ol-Molk (1848-1940)", Mehr News Agency reported.
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural (food, flowers, rocks and so on) or man-made (books, vases, jewelry and so on).
Amani's collection is a combination of fruits and dishes containing symbols from the Qajar era. In some works they are juxtaposed with western brands such as a can of Coca Cola, which present a symbolic contrast between Iranian traditions and the western influence on people's lives.
Born in Iran's Lorestan Province, Amani, 38, holds a master's degree in art research from the University of Tehran.
He is a multi-talented artist, working in a variety of medium and styles including painting, calligraphy and photography. His works have been showcased at over 40 exhibitions in Iran, Kuwait, Nepal, Qatar, the UAE, Lithuania, Greece, Russia, Germany, Canada and the UK.
