Reza Derakshani
Painter, Musician & Performance Artist, USA/UAE
Reza Derakshani is an Iranian painter, musician and performance artist.
Growing up in a large tent in a rural mountainside he eventually studied mathematics in high school and visual arts in Tehran and the United States. He later settled in New York City, where he worked for sixteen years. He later moved to Italy, eventually returning to Tehran for seven years before leaving his troubled homeland once again in 2010.
Reza Derakshani’s first solo show at the age of nineteen was held at the renowned Ghandriz Art Gallery in Tehran. Following this auspicious debut, he participated in many group and solo exhibits at other leading art galleries. His work has been widely exhibited and collected internationally, as well as widely published and broadcast by international print, television and radio outlets.
Derakshani’s passion for beauty and his nuanced perception of the light and dark of the world has found expression in many different forms, including music, graphic design, book illustration, film animation, calligraphy and studies in traditional and western classical visual arts. He experiences his true liberation and fulfillment as an artist with contemporary painting.
Reza’s work, known for its diversity and originality, has gained recognition for its fearless exploration of form and style, and the skill and vision necessary to merge an unbending tradition with a wild contemporary spirit.
As a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and performer he has performed with many prominent international musicians. his music also complements his art at many of his openings, in the form of performance that calls to mind painting with sounds.
He currently lives and works between the UAE and the USA.
