Massoud Arabshahi (Iranian, 1935-2019) Massoud Arabshahi (Iranian, 1935-2019) Untitled, c.1960 signed u.l., mixed media on card 98 x 69.5cm, unframed Massoud Arabshahi was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1935. His first solo exhibition took place at the Iran-India Centre, Tehran, in 1964, a year before graduating with a BA in Sculpture and Painting from the College of Decorative Arts, Tehran. He completed his education at the university in 1967 with an MA in Interior Design. Primarily known as a sculptor and muralist, Arabshahi’s body of work comprises oil painting, sculptures and architectural reliefs (including commissions for the Office for Industry and Mining, Tehran, 1971, and the California Insurance Building, Santa Rosa, USA, 1985). His own commissions came alongside those of fellow Iranian muralists Mohammad Hassan Shidel (b.1928) and Abolghassem Sa’idi (b.1928). Massoud Arabshahi sources his inspirations from Achaemenid and Assyrian art, as well as Babylonian carvings and inscriptions. By combining motifs from these seemingly different cultures with those of modern abstractions, Arabshahi is able to create a composition that pushes two- and three-dimensional boundaries. He questions language being the sole means of expression. Through his careful studies of Persian and Islamic art history, we see a deliberate yet thoughtful application of motifs. Condition Report: Please contact department for condition report.