Maryam Esfandi wins first Grand Prize of Iran Contemporary Painting
Maryam Esfandi has been selected as the winner of the Grand Prize of Iran Contemporary Painting in the first edition.
Iranart: She received the prize, which has been launched by the Association of Iranian Painters, during a ceremony held at the Iranian Artists Forum on Friday evening.
The prize, 700 million rials in cash (about $2300 based on Iran’s free-market exchange rate: $1 = 307,000 rials), is awarded to one artist.
Leila Gudarzi and Elham Purkhani also won honorable mentions, each receiving 150 million rials in cash.
An exhibition showcasing a selection of submissions to the event is underway at the Bahar and Tabestan galleries of the forum and will run until Monday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Association of Iranian Painters director Amir Rad said that the association planned to launch the prize in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to postpone the event.
He also express his hope the prize would continue for years and remain as grand as its title.
The ceremony went on with the Mani and Mana Awards, which are presented by the association every year.
The Mani Awards are given to at least two artists who have helped promote the aims of the association over the year, while the Mana Award is dedicated to one artist who has had active participation in art events over the year.
This year’s Mani Awards went to Jamshid Haqiqatshenas and Shahnaz Zehtab.
Haqiqatshenas has previously been honored at the Tehran International Contemporary Drawing Exhibition and Asian Art Biennial of Bangladesh.
Zehtab, one of the top disciples of prominent Iranian artist Aidin Aghdashlu, regards traditional Iranian elements, geometrical motifs, myths and symbols in her works.
The Mana Award was given to Farshid Maleki, an artist from the second generation of Iranian modernists. He began his art career with abstract paintings and then put his focus on expressionism and surrealism.
He has organized numerous solo and group exhibitions in Iran and other countries. and is the author of several books.
The Lajevardi Foundation and Emkan Gallery, two major art centers in Tehran, published his black and white drawings in a book titled “Farshid Maleki” in 2017.
source: Tehran Times