TEHRAN – Iranian painter Wahed Khaqdan died on October 23 at a hospital in Tehran at the age of 75.
Kakdan, who was suffering from esophageal cancer, was admitted to Jammu Hospital on September 27 and was shifted to intensive care unit in recent days, IRNA reported.
He was born in Tehran in 1950. After graduating from the School of Fine Arts in 1971, Kakudan entered the Department of Interior Architecture at the Faculty of Decorative Arts.
Kakudan was 24 years old when he held his first solo exhibition at Seihun Gallery, which marked the beginning of his career. The works that were well received by the audience were abstract paintings depicting Iranian motifs, especially prehistoric motifs, in cubist form.
In 1975, Kakudan exhibited his paintings at Candri’s Hall. This was the first work in which surrealist space was visible. After joining the army in 1976, he learned about the poverty and difficult lives of people in frontier towns, an experience that influenced his artistic insights. From this time on, realistic figures and objects appeared in his work. He painted humans evoking states of fear, loneliness, paranoia, and horror, and the way he combined elements and objects such as bones, chairs, beds, and floating clouds brought his work closer to surrealist painting.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution is reflected in Kakdan’s work in many ways. From this period onwards, his work moved toward absolute realism.
He collaborated with publishers in Iran, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and created more than 40 illustrations for children’s books.
Kakudan immigrated to Germany in 1984. He painted small works for a while and in 1985 exhibited his work at the Oberhausen Cultural Center. This became the starting point for his career in Germany and made his art known to many people. Then he rented a studio and began painting large oil paintings.
Kakudan took great care to display objects in their true and detailed form, which brought his method of production closer to hyperrealism.
There is a hint of magical realism in Wahed Khakdan’s photography and mystical paintings. He has exhibited his work many times in Iran, the United States, and Germany.
SS/SAB