Khosrow Hassanzadeh

Born Tehran, Iran, 1963

Returning from the Iran–Iraq war, Hassanzadeh decided to follow the path he had always dreamed of – art and poetry. He started studying at the Faculty of Painting, Mojtama’s-e-Honar University, Tehran, 1989–91, and later trained with his mentor, Iranian artist Aydeen Aghdashlou, 1996–8, while studying at the Faculty of Persian Literature, Azad University,Tehran. Many of Hassanzadeh’s paintings and drawings can be seen as visual diaries incorporating his own writings, his family, self-portraits and his experience of war. His work also includes installations and photographs. He participated in Children of the Dark City, 2000, a multi-media installation of sculptures, videos, photographs and paintings about the harmful effects of air pollution on children. In 2001 his work was included in Iranian Contemporary Art, Barbican Centre, London, and in 2002 he participated in the second exhibition of conceptual art, New Art, at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2005 he had his first exhibition of photographs only, Terrorist, in Tehran.Two documentaries on Hassanzadeh’s work have been made by the journalist and film maker Maziar Bahari, 1997–8, and his work is the subject of a book (Shatanawi, 2006). Hassanzadeh has had over fifteen solo exhibitions including an exhibition at the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, 2006, and the French Cultural Centre, Damascus, 2007. He lives and works in Tehran.