Retrospective of Baghdasarian’s Works

A retrospective of Arapic Baghdasarian (1939-1985), an Iranian-Armenian graphic designer, caricaturist, film director and translator, titled ‘Marked Designer’ opened at Tehran’s Gallery A on Friday.

The gallery has collected a major part of Baghdasarian’s works for the exhibition from February 17-28, Mehr News Agency reported.

Curators of the event are renowned set designer Amri Esbati, 60, graphic designer and writer Arash Tanhaee, 35, and visual journalist Amir Soqrati, 37. They have tried to present Baghdasarian’s multi-faceted life.

The exhibit features the artist’s caricatures which he created under the alias ‘Petros Karamian,’ his sketches, posters and animations, as well as the books he translated.

Additionally, a group of Iranian artists including Esbati, has commemorated Baghdasarian by contributing their artworks to the exhibition.

The artists are graphic designer and photographer Mostafa Asadollahi, 67, painter, illustrator and sculptor Mohammad Ali Baniasadi, 62, graphic designer, painter, Ebrahim Haqiqi, 68, illustrator, graphic designer and painter Ali Khosravi, 68, and cartoonist, sketch artist and graphic designer Mostafa Ramezani, 66.

Baghdasarian was a popular figure among his peers. 

The exhibit has other contributions by modern painter Jamshid Samavatian, 78, caricaturist, humor writer and architect Davoud Shahidi, 65, painter and cartoonist Kioumars Kiasat, 68, painter Ne’mat Lalei, 65, graphic designer and painter Ali Asghar Mohtaj, 74, illustrator and painter Mahnoush Moshiri, 67, painter Masoumeh Mozaffari, 59, and journalist, writer and caricaturist Masoud Mehrabi, 63.

A documentary about Baghdasarian titled ‘A Star Distant But Bright,’ directed by graphic designer and filmmaker Morteza Akouchekian, 37, will also be unveiled at the event.  

“He only lived 46 years. His career was in illustration, book design, animation, poster design and advertisement; but he was more interested in caricature and humorous renditions. He found black humor as a proper medium to convey his anthropophilic messages and social concerns. He tried old and new schools of caricature. More than anything else, he cared for the social impact of his works,” Iranian writer, critic, painter and historian of art Ruyin Pakbaz, 77, wrote about Baghdasarian in his book Encyclopedia of Art.   

The show is open on all days except Saturdays. Visiting hours are from 4-8 pm. Gallery A is located at No. 7, Arshad Alley, Azodi Street, Karim Khan Blvd.